Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport said that 24 flight departures and arrivals were cancelled and some flight operations were disrupted on Monday due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in Flores Timur, East Nusa Tenggara.
“Based on the data we received until Monday afternoon, several airlines serving flights to Labuan Bajo, Australia, Singapore, and South Korea were confirmed to have experienced cancellations and delays,” the airport’s general manager, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, informed.
He said that the 24 cancelled flights covered both international and domestic routes, with Virgin Australia airlines halting 6 flights to Melbourne, Gold Coast, and Sydney.
Meanwhile, Jetstar Airways cancelled 16 flights on the Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, and Singapore routes. AirAsia Indonesia cancelled two flights to Labuan Bajo.
“Meanwhile, those that experienced delays consisted of Qantas Airways to Sydney and Melbourne, and Air Busan to Busan,” Shahab informed.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted at 11:05 a.m. local time on Monday, spewing an ash column reaching a height of 18 thousand meters from its peak.
In response, the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport’s management assured that all related agencies at the airport were jointly monitoring the situation.
Based on monitoring as of Monday afternoon, the movement of the volcanic ash did not impact Bali’s airspace; therefore, flight operations remained under control, Shahab said.
He added that traffic arriving and departing from Bali was affected by the volcanic eruption.
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He said that airlines are extending services to passengers affected by the delay and cancellation. Several airlines have announced cancellations and rearranged departures or provided refunds via e-mail.
“To facilitate passengers who are already at the airport, we have provided a help desk located on the second floor of the international and domestic terminal ticketing areas to serve the process,” Shahab said.
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The El Tari Kupang Airport’s management also informed that four flights between Kupang and Flores Island were cancelled as a precautionary measure due to the eruption.
Two airlines, NAM Air and Wings Air, cancelled the flights, which comprised the flight from El Tari Kupang Airport to Frans Seda Maumere Airport and its return leg, and the flight from Kupang to Larantuka, East Flores, and its return leg.
