Jember, E Java, (Antara)- Volcanic ash from the erupting Mount Bromo has forced the closure of Notohadinegoro Airport located in Jember District, East Java Province, from Thursday until Friday.
"We have received a Notice to Airman (Notam) on the closure of Notohadinegoro Airport from today until tomorrow, Friday, at 7:30 a.m. local time due to the volcanic ash spewed by Mount Bromo," Edi Purnomo, an official of the airport, stated here, Thursday.
Garuda Indonesia's flight serving the Jember-Surabaya route and Susi Air serving the Jember-Sumenep route were cancelled following the eruption of the volcano.
The airport is not directly affected by the volcanic ash, but the flight route to and from Jember Airport is affected by the ash.
Earlier this year, Jember airport was closed several times due to the eruptions of Mount Raung located in Banyuwangi and Mount Barujari in West Nusa Tenggara.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) had earlier revealed that Mount Bromo's volcanic activity remained high, and the eruption continued until mid-December 2015.
On December 12, the volcano remained seismically active though Head of the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency's (PVMBG's) monitoring post Ahmad Subhan said the status was still at Alert III.
"The volcanic activity of the 2,329-meter-high mountain is still high, and tremors have been felt with increasing intensity," he stated at the post at Ngadisari village, Sukapura, Probolinggo.(*)
