Gov’t Extends Closure of Seven Airports Affected by Anak Krakatau Volcanic Ash, Prepares Alternatives
The Government, through Ministry of Transportation, continues to take precautionary measures in response to the impact of volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau on flight safety. As of Monday (09/07), seven airports remain closed, while several alternative airports have been prepared to ensure the smooth mobility of passengers.
Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi said that the affected airports would resume operations once flight safety can be assured.
“Safety is our priority. We are monitoring the latest situation based on information provided by BMKG (the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics). So, we cannot yet say when it will end because weather conditions are too unpredictable,” the Minister said in Jakarta on Sunday night (09/06).
The seven airports that remain closed include Soekarno-Hatta airport in Banten province, Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung province, Budiarto Airport in Banten province, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Pondok Cabe Airport in Banten province, Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas Airport in Lampung province, and Husein Sastranegara Airport in West Java province.
Meanwhile, Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, South Sumatera province has reopened and resumed normal operations after inspections found no impact from volcanic ash.
The Ministry continues to monitor the developments in Mount Anak Krakatau’s activity and the spread of volcanic ash in affected areas. The monitoring is being conducted to ensure that airport conditions remain safe before flight operations can resume.
“We have to make sure everything is checked first before operations can resume, for the sake of flight safety,” he emphasized.
As precaution, the Ministry has prepared several alternative airports, including Kertajati International Airport, Yogyakarta International Airport, Juanda Airport, Adi Soemarmo Airport, and Jenderal Ahmad Yani Airport.
As of Monday (09/07), several airlines have used the alternative airports, with four Garuda Indonesia flights landing at Kertajati Airport as an alternative to Soekarno-Hatta Airport.
“Garuda Indonesia has been landing at Kertajati since yesterday. Today, more flights are also planned to land at Kertajati, including flights from Jeddah and Amsterdam,” the Minister said to the media at Soekarno Hatta Airport on Monday (09/07).
The Government also urged airlines, especially foreign airlines, to use larger-capacity aircraft and the alternative airports provided. This move is aimed at helping passengers affected by the airport closures continue their journeys and return to Indonesia via alternative airports. (PR of Ministry of Transsportation/IAN/DND – PR of Ministry of State Secretariat) (FI/MMB)
