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Bali airport closure extended
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An airport official walks past deserted check-in counters at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Monday. Thousands of tourists were stranded at Bali’s main airport following its closure due to the eruption of Mount Agung. (JP/Ni Komang Erviani)
T
he closure of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali has been extended by another 24 hours amid the ongoing eruption of Mount Agung.
The resumption of operations at the airport is now scheduled for 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I (AP I) communications and legal division head Arie Ahsanurrohim said the decision was made during a meeting to evaluate the impact of the eruption on the airport.
"It has been decided to keep the airport closed until 7 a.m. tomorrow, as the airspace of the airport is still covered by volcanic ash," Arie said on Tuesday.
Arie explained that the decision was based on meteorological observation.
"Volcanic ash from Mount Agung has spread to a height of 30,000 feet, and [the wind] is blowing in a south and south-westerly direction at a speed of about 5 to 10 knots, heading to I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport," Arie said.
The international airport has been closed since 7:15 a.m. on Monday due to volcanic ash from Mount Agung, which erupted on Saturday. The closure affected 445 flights and saw at least 59,000 passengers stranded on Monday. Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center has upgraded the alert status to the highest level. (bbn)
