Malaysia: 'Winds not blowing in volcanic ash' from Indonesia

Hemananthani Sivanandam The Star 15 Feb 14;

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia need not worry about any plume of ash blanketing its skies from the eruption of Mount Kelud in Indonesia.

“Since the winds are blowing from the north-easterly direction, it is not possible for the ash to head our way,” National Weather Centre Director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said yesterday.

The volcano, which erupted late Thursday night, forced the closure of three airports in Surabaya, Yogya­karta and Solo due to poor visibility and the dangers posed by ash from the eruption on aircraft engines.

It was reported that the cloud from the eruption could be seen as far as 9km to the west.

Mount Kelud is situated 140km south of Surabaya. An estimated 200,000 people live within a 10km radius of the mountain, one of nearly 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.

In a related development, AirAsia announced the cancellation of all flights to and from Surabaya, Semarang and Yogyakarta due to the airport closures.

The airline said the volcanic ash emitted from the volcano had affecte­d the air quality in the surrounding areas, resulting in poor visibility and posed a potential threat to passengers’ safety.

“The ash could also compromise the safety and performance of the aircraft, such as causing permanent damage to the engine,” said the low-budget carrier in a statement yesterday.

AirAsia said passengers affected by the flight cancellations could change their flights within five days of the original schedule without additional charge

Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines said its flights to and from Indonesia had not been affected and all operations were as scheduled.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and will notify our customers of any changes,” it said in a statement.

46 flights out of Singapore cancelled after volcano erupted
Chitra Kumar Channel News Asia 14 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE: A volcanic eruption in Java, Indonesia has caused 46 flights out of Singapore to five Indonesian cities to be cancelled, as of 7.40pm Friday.

The cities are Semarang, Solo, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Bandung.

The eruption has killed at least two people and forced mass evacuations, disrupting long-haul flights and closing international airports.

In a Facebook post, Singapore's Changi Airport advised passengers travelling to these cities to check with their respective airlines on their flight's status before going to the airport.

About 215 Singapore Airlines passengers were affected.

Responding to a media query, a SIA spokesperson said that two of its flights have been cancelled -- SQ930 from Singapore to Surabaya and SQ931 from Surabaya to Singapore.

SIA said customers have been rebooked on flights for Saturday and hotel accommodation has been extended to those affected.

The airline will waive administrative fees and penalties for refunds, re-booking, re-routing for customers holding confirmed tickets issued before 14 February 2014 for travel to and from Surabaya, Solo, Yogyakarta and Semarang from now to 18 February 2014.

Passengers are to note that flights to Solo, Yogyakarta and Semarang are operated by SilkAir. They are advised to speak to SilkAir for updates.

Separately an update on SilkAir's website said four flights have been cancelled - SilkAir flights MI 226/225 to Surabaya, MI 102/101 to Semarang, MI 152/151 to Yogyakarta and MI 196/195 to Bandung.

Affected passengers requiring assistance are advised to call SilkAir at +65 62238888.

Meanwhile AirAsia Indonesia has cancelled 16 flights and TigerAir 24.

- CNA/ir