REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Directorate General of Air Transportation (Ditjen Hubud) of the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) instructed that Minangkabau Padang International Airport be temporarily closed as a mitigation measure due to the presence of ash. Fires, which were detected through field observations. Director General of Air Transport, M Kristi Endah Murni stated that this closure decision was taken with the utmost consideration for aviation safety.

“Based on the information, the ash of this volcano impacted twenty-nine flights. As a result, one flight has to return to the home airport or return to base and another has to divert the landing to another airport,” Kristi said in a statement in Jakarta, Friday (5/1/2024).

Kristi said that the closure of the airport was announced today through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) with Number B0030/24 NOTAM from 10.45 pm until further notice, because aviation safety reasons are mainly that the spread of volcanic ash can harm and stop the operation of aircraft engines.

Kemenhub through the Airport Authority of Region VI Padang 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.

That in the face of force majeure, Kristi then appealed to the airline to compensate passengers who had purchased tickets, including the option of a full refund, reschedule, or re-route to the nearest airport if seat availability was still available. According to him, this is expected to help passengers affected by the closure of the airport.

Kemenhub understands that this policy can cause inconvenience, but nevertheless the safety of all parties involved remains a top priority.

“We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of all parties involved in this situation, and may the conditions at Minangkabau Airport quickly return to normal,” he said.

Regarding the handling of volcanic eruptions and handling the impact of volcanic ash on aviation safety operations, the General Directorate of Hubud has published Circular No. SE 15 of 2019 on the Implementation of Flights in the State of Force Majeure as well as the Decision of the Director General of Air Transport No. 153 of 2019 on Procedures and Procedures for Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) Handling the Impact of Volcanic Ash on Flight Operations through Integrated Web Based Aeronautical Information System Handling (I-WISH) so as to address the force majeure eruption Gunung Marapi refers to both letters as implementation guidelines.

“We are committed to continuing to monitor the situation and coordinate with relevant stakeholders in addressing this force majeure in order to take the necessary steps for the safety, security and convenience of aviation,” he said.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika