Gov’t Prepares Aviation Mitigation Measures Following Anak Krakatau Eruption

The Government continues to take mitigation measures to address the impact of the Anak Krakatau Mountain eruption on the transportation sector, particularly air travel. In his report to President Prabowo Subianto on Monday (09/07), Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the Government had temporarily closed several airports affected by the spread of volcanic ash.

“Initially, we temporarily suspended operations at eight affected airports, which are Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, Radin Inten, Budiarto, Husein Sastranegara, Taufiq Kemas, Pondok Cabe, and Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam. However, as of this morning, we have reopened Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, Mr. President, because based on our evaluation, the airport is no longer affected by volcanic ash,” said Dudy.

The Government is also continuing to monitor the movement of volcanic ash in coordination with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC). In addition, regular paper tests are being conducted to assess conditions on airport surfaces.

“We can report that Soekarno-Hatta Airport has undergone four paper tests, all of which returned negative results. However, we are not reopening the airport immediately, Mr. President, because we want to ensure that conditions are truly safe, particularly given the changes in wind direction that occurred yesterday,” explained Dudy.

As a precautionary measure, the government has prepared several alternative airports, including Kertajati, Juanda, Ahmad Yani, Adi Sumarmo, and Yogyakarta airports. According to Dudy, several airlines have also adjusted their operations, including adding flights and deploying wide-body aircraft to accommodate the increase in passenger numbers.

“We have also prepared 10 airports to operate 24 hours a day, Mr. President, to accommodate diverted flights and help accelerate the recovery of flight schedules,” said Dudy.

Meanwhile, to protect passengers affected by flight cancellations, the Government is providing full ticket refunds. The Government is also granting flexibility in immigration permits for foreign nationals whose stay permits have expired as a result of flight cancellations.

“For affected passengers, we are providing their rights in accordance with the applicable regulations. At present, Mr. President, we are providing a 100 percent full refund for canceled flights,” explained Dudy.

To facilitate passenger transfers to alternative airports, Dudy said InJourney Airports, together with Danantara, had also arranged free ground transportation in cooperation with Damri and PT KAI.

“The transportation services will cover routes to and from Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang, and Surabaya,” said Dudy.(Bureau of Press, Media, and Information of the Presidential Secretariat) (TC/LW)