Mount Agung Erupts, Several Flights from Ngurah Rai Canceled

Mangupura, 25/5 (Atnews) - As a result of the re-eruption of Mount Agung, Directorate General of Air Transportation at the Ministry of Transportation through the Airport Authority Office for Region IV Bali said that several flights from Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, were canceled and so were the flights to the airport were temporarily diverted, tonight (May 24).

“We will continuously update the latest conditions regarding the eruption of Mount Agung. Currently, the flights from and to Ngurah Rai Airport are canceled,” said Polana B Pramesti, Director General of Air Transportation, in Jakarta.

At present, there are four flights to the airport carrying out cancellations and five departures from Ngurah Rai Airport canceled in accordance with the airline safety assessment concerned.

Polana also appealed to all relevant parties to continuously coordinate and monitor the eruption of Mount Agung in Bali, and if it interferes with flight safety, the airport can be temporarily closed.

Head of the Airport Authority Office for Region IV Bali, Elfi Amir, explained separately that currently there is a light rain of volcanic ashes, and the conditions will still continue until 01:00 tomorrow. Volcanic ashes were detected at an altitude of around 4,000-5,000 meters in the air space of Ngurah Rai Airport with moderate intensity but rather scattered. Ngurah Rai Airport continues to operate normally and the ATC officers still carry out tactical guidance on aircrafts to keep them away from the area exposed to volcanic ashes.

In his explanation, Elfi Amir appealed to air transport service users not to panic about the eruption of Mount Agung because in overcoming disasters of volcanic ashes, the airport already has a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). In addition, each airline operator also carries out safety assessment to ensure the safety and security of the flight.

“Passengers don’t need to panic because we already have an SOP and contingency plan if there is a volcanic ash because the government through the Directorate General of Air Transportation still prioritizes flight safety and security,” he explained. (*/ika)