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Garuda cancels 35 flights to and from Denpasar after eruption
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Thick smoke emanates from Mount Agung, as seen from Datah village in Karangasem, Bali, on June 29. (Antara/Nyoman Budhiana)
N
ational flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has announced that it has canceled 35 flights to and from Denpasar, Bali, following the closure of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport due to the eruption of Mt. Agung on the resort island.
“Because of the Mt. Agung eruption, we have prepared a contingency plan to handle the affected flights,” said Garuda Indonesia vice president corporate secretary Hengki Heriandono on Friday as reported by kontan.co.id.
The decision to close the airport for 16 hours from 3 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday was made after the eruption spread volcanic ash to nearby areas.
Passengers with Garuda Indonesia tickets have the option to reschedule their flight or get a refund, Nengki said, adding that Garuda Indonesia would closely monitor the situation, particularly the spread of volcanic ash.
He recommended that Garuda passengers monitor flight schedules through its call center by contacting 02123519999 or 08041807807.
Previously, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said volcanic material began spewing from Mt. Agung’s crater at 10:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, causing volcanic ash to rain in areas west and southwest of the volcano.
Himawari satellite data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) show that volcanic ash had covered the air space above Ngurah Rai airport. (bbn)
