Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted on Friday, sending an ash column 10 kilometers into the sky. A second eruption on Saturday produced an ash column of 18km.
“There are 14 canceled flights. Wings Air had to cancel flights to several NTT airports,” I Gusti Ngurah Yudi Saputra, acting head of the legal, compliance, and stakeholder relations department of El Tari Kupang Airport, informed on Saturday.
He said that the canceled flights included Wings Air flight IW-1995, flying from Kupang to Lewoleba in Lembata district, and Wings Air flight IW-1994, flying the Lewoleba-Kupang route.
They also included Wings Air flights on the Kupang-Maumere and Maumere-Kupang routes, and a round-trip Kupang-Ende flight.
They further comprised two-way flights on the Kupang-Larantuka, Kupang-Bajawa, and Kupang-Alor route.
Saputra urged airport users and the public to remain calm and follow official updates issued by the relevant authorities.
He said that the latest information regarding flight status can be accessed on the airline’s official channels, the El Tari Kupang Airport information service, or the hotline CC 172.
Meanwhile, he assured that flight services at El Tari Airport are running smoothly and have not been affected by the volcanic eruption.
As part of aviation safety procedures, the airport has conducted periodic paper tests since Saturday morning.
The paper test results have indicated no volcanic ash contamination in the El Tari Kupang Airport area, allowing airport operations to continue as normal.
In addition, several domestic flights at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali have also been disrupted by the eruption.
General manager of the airport, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, informed that as of Saturday afternoon, six flights have been delayed and one has been postponed at the airport.
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Translator: Kornelis Kaha, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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