Speaking during an inspection at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Sunday, Purwagandhi said airports would remain temporarily closed if volcanic ash posed a risk to flight safety.
“If, as we saw earlier, the ash dispersion remains widespread and the paper test is still positive, we will not force the airport to reopen or allow aircraft operations to resume,” Purwagandhi said.
Soekarno-Hatta Airport was temporarily closed due to the spread of volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau.
Similar closures were implemented at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung, Husein Sastranegara Airport in West Java, Budiarto Airport in Curug, Pondok Cabe Airport in Banten, Taufik Kiemas Airport in Lampung, and Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra.
The closures affected about 150,000 passengers and disrupted 467 flights, including 58 international flights and 409 domestic flights.
Purwagandhi urged all airlines to prioritize safety in every operational decision and provide passengers with timely, accurate, and transparent information.
Airlines were instructed to provide passengers with clear information regarding schedule changes, cancellations, and flight diversions, while ensuring that passengers' rights are fulfilled in accordance with applicable regulations.
The minister also said flights could potentially be diverted to other airports, including Kertajati, Semarang, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta.
He urged operators to ensure sufficient staff and information channels were available to assist affected passengers and manage changes to their travel plans in an orderly and coordinated manner.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Kuntum Khaira
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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