TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Bali airport reopened, Lombok airport still closed

Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, was reopened on Monday after it had been closed at 9:45 p

Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post)
Denpasar
Tue, November 10, 2015

Share This Article

Change Size

Bali airport reopened, Lombok airport still closed

N

gurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, was reopened on Monday after it had been closed at 9:45 p.m. on Sunday due to the eruption of Mount Barujari in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

'€œNgurah Rai Airport has been reopened this morning, but 16 flights bound for Australia were still canceled,'€ the airport'€™s general manager, Trikora Harjo, said on Monday, adding that 11 of the 16 flights were operated by Jetstar, four by Virgin Airlines and one by Jetstar Asia.

Based on data from state-run airport management firm PT Angkasa Pura I, a total of 17 flights for 3,369 passengers were canceled since the airport'€™s closure on Sunday.

As many as seven domestic flights intended to carry 344 passengers were canceled. '€œDomestic flights have resumed today, except to Lombok. We continue to evaluate the situation,'€ said Trikora.

Meanwhile, the closure of the Lombok International Airport (BIL) due to eruptions at the sub volcano of Mount Rinjani remains in place.

BIL spokesman Gede Eka Sandi said the airport had been closed again from 8:45 a.m. on Monday until 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday.

'€œThe airport'€™s closure is extended until Tuesday at 8:45 a.m.,'€ Gede said on Monday.

The current closure is the sixth since the eruption, which has severely disrupted flight activities at BIL.

Earlier, BIL, which is located in Praya, Central Lombok, NTB, had been closed for incoming and outgoing flights following the issuance of a notice to airman on Nov. 4 at 6:45 p.m. until Nov. 5 at 9:30 a.m. It remains unclear when BIL will resume operating normally.

Separately, the NTB Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has urged residents living along river banks to remain cautious amid the potential of cold lava flows as a result of Mount Rinjani'€™s eruption.

'€œIn connection with the flood threat, BPBD has appealed to people through the heads of districts, villages and hamlets to be vigilant at all times,'€ said NTB BPBD head Azhar on Monday.

Azhar said that based on BPBD data, several rivers were prone to cold lava flows due to the accumulation of volcanic ash on the southern slope of the mountain.

The Tanggek and Belimbing rivers flow to the south through the districts of Aikmel, Wanasaba, Pringgabaya and Suralaga.

The spread of volcanic ash from the volcano is moving to the south and west of the eruption point.

'€œBased on images from the Himawari satellite, the volcanic ash on Monday morning is moving to the south and west,'€ said Azhar.

He added volcanic activity in Sembalun district was monitored as active. The last eruption took place at 5:50 a.m. However, 7,063 families living in six villages in Sembalun district have not been affected by the volcanic ash so far.

Meanwhile, several places in Pringgasela district, such as the villages of Timba Nuh, Kayu Jati, Pengadangan Barat and Pengkelep, where a total of 660 people live, have been affected by volcanic ash.

The volcanic ash has also disrupted operations at Selaparang International Airport in the provincial capital of Mataram.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.