Flights Halted Due to Mt Kelud Eruption

Kuta, Bali (Antara) - The eruption of Mt Kelud in Kediri, East Java, on Thursday night has disrupted numerous flight schedules across Indonesia. At least 43 domestic flight schedules at Ngurah Rai airport in Bali have been disrupted due to the temporary closure of three airports on Java Island. "According to the Notice of the Airman, Juanda airport in Surabaya, Adi Sutjipto in Yogyakarta and Adi Soemarno in Solo have all been closed," Co-General Manager of Bali's airport operator Angkasa Pura, I Gusti Ngurah Ardita, said here on Friday. Hundreds of passengers crowded the Ngurah Rai airport due to the cancellation of flights. Mt Kelud's eruption has left the runways of the three airports covered with volcanic ash. Ardita noted that 31 flight schedules from Denpasar to Surabaya and vice versa had been disrupted, while 12 flight services from Denpasar to Yogyakarta had been halted following the eruption. Ardita remarked that based on the Notice of Airman, Surabaya's airport closure would last until 1 p.m. on Friday, while that of Adi Sutjipto in Yogyakarta and Adi Soemarmo in Solo, Central Java, would last until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday. "We will see further developments," he said. Regarding the hundreds of passengers who had been stranded, he confirmed he would coordinate with airline companies to deal with it. Lion Air, meanwhile, has cancelled all its flights from Batam to Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Semarang, as these regions are still covered by volcanic ash. "We cannot fly today. We were advised to reschedule our flight to Saturday," a Lion Air passenger, Yusron, complained at Batam's Hang Nadim airport on Friday. A Lion Air plane was forced to return to Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport after it failed to land in Surabaya. A Tigerair Mandala flight from Yogyakarta to Pekanbaru was also cancelled on Friday morning due to the volcanic ash from Mt Kelud.(*) Reporting by Dewa Wiguna