Mount Ruang Status Alert, Sam Ratulangi Airport Closed

The atmosphere at Samrat Airport of the passengers was in the waiting room waiting for departure, in Manado, Thursday (18/4/2024). ANTARA/Nancy L Tigauw.

MANADO-Operational PT Angkasa Pura (AP) I Sam Ratulangi Airport is temporarily closed as a result of the volcanic ash of Mount Ruang, in Siau Tagulandang Biaro (Sitaro) Regency, North Sulawesi.

Sam Ratulangi Airport GM Maya Damayanti, in Manado, Thursday, April 18, said that the volcanic ash of Mount Ruang was detected based on field observations, in the form of a paper test conducted at 07.00 WITA today.

The temporary closure of Sam Ratulangi Airport was announced through a Notice to Airmen (Notam) temporarily closing until 10:00 WITA.

"For the time being, we are closing Sam Ratulangi Airport until further notice," Maya said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, April 18.

According to the Notam that today is April 18, 2024, he said, this action was taken as a result of coordination with the Airport Authority, BMKG and several other stakeholders.

"This is important for us to decide because this impact can endanger airport safety," he said.

He said the airport would reopen until further notice and for the time being his party held a coordination meeting to decide what things needed to be followed up on affected aircraft.

Maya said notifications had been conveyed to passengers through loudspeakers in the information section of Sam Ratulangi Airport.

"We apologize for delaying the departure of the passengers, this is an unavoidable natural factor," he said.

Flight schedules from Manado to Jakarta, Makassar, and Sorong, have been delayed. Likewise with arrivals from China and Ternate.

The status of Mount Ruang in the Sitaro Islands rose from Level III Alert to Level IV Alert. This status increase follows the escalation of Mount Ruang's volcanic activity which erupted again on Wednesday 17 April 2024 at 18.00 WITA with a material burst height of 2,500 m from the summit.

Then Wednesday (17/4) at 20.15 WITA there was another explosive eruption with a height of about 3,000 meters above the peak. This eruption was accompanied by a rumbling sound and the earthquake was felt at the Ruang Volcano Observation Post (PGA).