"The airport will remain closed until Friday at around 8:45 am Central Indonesian Standard Time (WITA)," General Manager of the Angkasa Pura I of the Ngurah Rai international Airport Trikora Harjo stated here, Thursday.
Mount Barujari is a cone inside Mount Rinjani's large volcanic caldera located in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara Province.
The decision on the closure was based on information received from the Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and Darwin-based Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) of Australia that volcanic ash has drifted to the west or over Bali Island, particularly the airport area.
The transportation ministry has issued a Notice to Airman (Notam) No A 2479/15 regarding the closure.
Three airports --the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Selaparang in Lombok and Banyuwangi-- have been closed due to the eruption.
On Wednesday, some 692 international and domestic flights were cancelled following the Ngurah Rai International Airports closure.
The cancellations have affected 183 arrivals and 189 departures of domestic flights.
With regard to the international flights, 157 scheduled arrivals and 163 departures have been cancelled.
"Our airport is currently affected by the volcanic ash being spewed by the erupting Mount Barujari," Chief of the Regional IV Airport Authorities Yusfandri Gona stated on Wednesday.
The Notohadinegoro airport in Jember, East Java, was not closed on Wednesday, but national flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia decided to cancel a flight serving the Surabaya-Jember route to avoid the impact of the volcanic ash, according to the manager of the Jember airport, Edi Purnomo.
Besides, Garuda Indonesia also cancelled 86 flights from and to Ngurah Rai international airport in Bali, and Blimbingsari airport in Banyuwangi on Wednesday due to the volcano's eruption.
Vice President in charge of Corporate Communications of Garuda Indonesia Benny Butarbutar said in a statement the cancellations would be effective until Thursday (November 5).
Editor: Ade P Marboen
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