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Bali airport closure extended again
State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I (AP I) has extended the closure of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport by another day, until 7 a.m. on Thursday, as volcanic ash from Mount Agung is still found in airspace near Bali's main airport.
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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)
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tate-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I (AP I) has extended the closure of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport by another day, until 7 a.m. on Thursday, as volcanic ash from Mount Agung is still found in airspace near the airport.
“We evaluate the spread of volcanic ash and the direction of the wind every six hours,” said airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim in Denpasar on Wednesday, as reported by news agency Antara.
He said the decision had been made during the evaluation meeting to discuss reports from the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG), the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) in Darwin as well as pilots’ observation and tests conducted at the airport.
According to the VAAC report, volcanic ash was detected up to an altitude of 25,000 feet and is spreading in a south-westerly direction, and therefore toward the airport, at a speed of 14 knots.
Read also: Bali governor issues statement for tourism industry players in Bali
“According to pilot reports, volcanic ash was found at an altitude of 2,000 to 4,000 feet,” Arie said. He added that the airport authority had not detected volcanic ash at the airport based on the paper test, but said areas near the airport were still affected.
Operations at the airport have been halted following the eruption of Mount Agung on Saturday. Nine other airports have been designated to handle the traffic of Bali’s main airport.
Transportation Ministry Air Transportation Director General Agus Santoso said volcanic ash posed a danger for aircraft. (bbn)
