Four Airports In NTT Have Not Been Operated Due To The Eruption Of Mount Lewotobi

Incandescent Lava coming out of the crater of Mount Lewotobi Male can be seen from Lewolaga Village in TiteTENa, NTT, Sunday 10 November 2024. (Photo: ANTARA)

The Ministry of Transportation noted that there are four airports that have not been able to operate due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Four airports that have not yet operated include H. Hasan Aroeboesman Airport, Ende, Soa Airport, Bajawa, Frans Sales Relieve Airport, Ruteng, and Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport, Maumere.

Head of the Bureau of Communication and Public Information Budi Rahardjo said that the airport could not operate because exposure to volcanic ash limited the aircraft's movement space in the air.

Meanwhile, he continued, several airports can already operate. Among them, Komodo Airport, Labuan Bajo, Lewoleba Airport, Waingapu Airport, Salahudin Airport, Bima, and Lede Kalumbang Airport, Tambolaka.

"Although a number of airports have returned to operation, several airlines have canceled flight services for safety reasons. Including Lombok Airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali, and Komodo Airport," he said in an official statement, Thursday, November 14.

As of today, continued Budi, there were three international flights cancellations at Lombok Airport. Then there were 11 domestic flights and 41 international flights at Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali.

"Meanwhile, at Komodo Airport, Labuan Bajo there were 12 cancellations of domestic flights and 2 (two) international flights," he said.

Budi said that in line with the limited operation of airports and flights around the eruption area of Mount Lewotobi, the Ministry of Transportation and relevant stakeholders have tried to increase the number of ships and shipping frequencies.

"As of Thursday, November 14, at 08.00 WITA, there were 119 ships (including ASDP ferries) that had transported 4,387 passengers. In combination, the percentage of passenger ships of PT. Pelni, PT. Berlian Lautan Sejahtera, and PT. Dharma Lautan Utama amounted to 50 percent," he explained.

From this percentage, continued Budi, it can be assumed that the evacuation of passengers using an alternative sea can still be fulfilled and served properly.

Meanwhile, ferry transportation is also still operating to serve the transportation of people and goods, especially assistance for victims of the eruption. Today, the KMP Ranaka Ship departed from Kupang to Larantuka, which carried 13 aid trucks from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and 2 aid trucks from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

"The Ministry of Transportation will continue to coordinate with ministries, local governments, officials, shipping companies, associations, and related institutions to coordinate their smooth running," concluded Budi.