As a result of the pesky volcanic ash cloud near Bali originating from East Java’s Mt. Raung, Bali’s airport is said to be shutting down for some time.
According to Vely Sansouci, the Legal and Communications head of the airport authority Angakasa Pura I, the closure started on Thursday at around 9:27 pm, reports Tribun Bali.
Bali’s not the only airport temporarily closed because of Raung—Belimbingsari Banyuwangi Airport, Notohadinegoro Jember Airport, and Lombok Airport are all reportedly closed as well for the moment.
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Wayan Suardana, head of the Denpasar unit of the Body of Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) says Bali’s Ngurah Airport is due to a shift in winds, that are now moving east towards Bali.
“Therefore, we see that the air in the surrounding area is not safe for flight activity. So the airport was closed last night,” Suardana told Tribun on Friday.
He said that the current altitude of volcanic ash circulating around Bali airspace is about 17,000 feet.
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Suardana says BMKG will continue to monitor the situation and adjust accordingly, but there is a strong chance that ash will blanket Bali (oh God, please no, especially not during Idul Fitri).
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
