Flight forced to land at Port Hedland after fog blankets Perth

An Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur landed at Port Hedland International Airport after being diverted from Perth due to fog blanketing the city. Air Asia Flight A330 FN D7236 from Kuala Lumpur to Perth was forced to divert near Geraldton to the PHIA due to low visibility at Perth Airport. The plane landed in Port Hedland at 8.40am local time. The crew and 265 passengers onboard did not exit the aircraft and Australian Border Force arrived at the airport in case of an emergency. Airport chief executive Dave Batic said the flight refueled and departed once the conditions in Perth cleared. The unexpected visit from an international passenger flight comes as news surrounds the reintroduction of the PHIA connection to Bali. Flights to Bali are being targeted for late 2023 or early 2024 and would provide the only direct international connection for North West WA.