Mount Semeru Erupts, Abdulrachman Saleh Airport Temporarily Closed

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) has decided to temporarily close the operations of Abdulrachman Saleh Airport, Malang. This is because the impact of Mount Semeru's volcanic ash has been detected.

The Director General of Civil Aviation, M. Kristi Endah Murni, said that the decision to temporarily close the operations of Abdulrachman Saleh Airport, Malang refers to the results of field observations showing volcanic ash.

The observation is in the form of a paper test conducted from 08.00 to 08.20 WIB today, Friday, January 12, 2024. The temporary suspension of this airport was announced through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) with Number C0079/24 NOTAMC C0063/24 starting at 10.00 WIB.

"We have to stop for aviation safety reasons. Volcanic ash can endanger and stop the work of aircraft engines," he said in an official statement, Friday, January 12.

Through the Airport Authority Region III of Surabaya, continued Kristi, his party will continue to monitor and monitor the development of the situation in the form of field observations carried out at intervals of 30 minutes to 1 hour at several points around the airport.

Kristi also appealed to airlines to compensate passengers who have purchased tickets, including full refund, reschedule, or re-route options to the nearest airport if seat is still available.

"This is expected to help passengers affected by airport closures," he said.

Regarding the handling of volcanic eruptions and the handling of the impact of volcanic ash on flight safety operations, the Directorate General of Hubud has issued Circular Letter number SE 15 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Flights in the Condition of Force Majeure.

Then, the Decree of the Director General of Civil Aviation Number KP 153 of 2019 concerning Procedures and Procedures for Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) for Handling the Impact of Volcanic Ash on Aviation Operations through the Integrated Web Based Aeronautical Information System Handling (I-WISH).

Thus, continued Kristi, the handling of the force majeure eruption of Mount Merapi refers to the two letters as a guideline for implementation.

"We are committed to continuing to monitor the situation and coordinating with relevant stakeholders in handling this force majeure in order to take the necessary steps for the safety, security and comfort of flights," concluded Kristi.