I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport Reopened

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Directorate General of Civil Aviation at the Ministry of Transportation has declared the resuming of operations at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on Wednesday (Nov 29) at 15.00 Central Indonesian Standard Time (WITA).

"We declare the reopening of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, after the airspace near the airport was found to be free of volcanic ash," the secretary of the air transportation directorate general at the Transport Ministry Pramintohadi Sukarno said in a written statement received here on Wednesday.

Based on the coordination meeting, volcanic ash had moved to the southeast direction. As a result, volcanic ash has not covered the airspace near the airport.

Thus, the activities at the airport can be resumed normally.

The information regarding the opening of the Airport was disseminated to all national and international carriers through a notice no. A4300/17.

In addition, the Volcano Observation Notice for Aviation has decreased from Red to Orange.

However, he urged all airlines to remain vigilant and implement flight operations in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs).

"The cooperation, between Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), AirNav, airlines and airport operators, and pilots, must be carried out well. Vigilance must be maintained, so that the safety, security, and aviation services will be maintained properly if the situation deteriorates," he remarked.

He called on the passengers to remain patient and follow the rules and SOPs operated by the airline operators.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation will always provide and disseminate actual information to the public through all information channels of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transportation, he added.

The public can also search and provide information related to the impact of Mount Agung eruption in the region through social media of Directorate General of Civil Aviation @djpu151 and BMKG site.

The communities can also update information through mobile phone number of Mount Agung rescue post (posko), 0361 9351011 ext 6300, and 0370 6157000 ext 888 in Lombok.

The Bali airport authorities had earlier extended the closure of the airport by another day, until 7 a.m. on Thursday, following volcanic ash found in airspace near the airport.

"We evaluate the spread of volcanic ash and the direction of the wind every six hours," Arie Ahsanurrohim, spokesman of state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I`s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, earlier revealed here on Wednesday.

Based on the report of The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, volcanic ash is spreading in a southwest direction and toward the airport at a speed of 15 knots.

The airport authority had not detected volcanic ash at the airport based on the paper test, he noted, but the volcanic ash can be found in the airspace near the airport.

On Monday (Nov 27), the Bali airport authorities had closed down the airport for 24 hours, following the eruption.

"The airport has been closed from 7 a.m. Central Indonesian Standard Time (WITA)," Ahsanurrohim noted. (WDY)