Volcanic eruption shuts two airports in Indonesia

Jakarta, July 10: Two airports in Indonesia remain shut for the second day Friday due to volcanic eruption leading to chaos among passengers, media reported.

Authorities decided to shut down airports in Bali and the neighboring island of Lombok on Thursday as Mount Raung in East Java continued to spew ash into one of the world's most crowded flight paths, Wall Street Journal reported.

International carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Malaysia Airlines and Etihad Airways were among the airlines affected by the airport closures.

Mount Raung, which is about 150 kilometers west of Bali, erupted on July 5, prompting authorities to require pilots nearby to fly above 24,800 feet for safety reasons.

"We will see if we can reopen the airports after the sunset," Transportation Ministry spokesman Adravida Barata said.
Around 48,000 passengers use Bali airport daily Lombok airport handles about 3,600.

Bali and Lombok's economies are mainly dependent on tourism.

Indonesia is home to dozens of active volcanoes that sit along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. Volcanic eruptions sometimes disrupt flights in the country, but have never been linked to aviation accidents.

OneIndia News