GEORGE TOWN: Six flights from Penang International Airport to Jakarta, Indonesia were cancelled on Sunday (Sept 6) following the temporary closure of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport due to volcanic dust from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.
Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the cancellations involved AirAsia, TransNusa and Batik Air flights and affected about 1,000 passengers.
"Passengers have received early announcements by airlines about their flight cancellations as soon as airport operations in Jakarta were ordered to close, so there isn't any extraordinary congestion at the airport.
"Flights will depend on the situation at the airport in Jakarta and we advise passengers to follow the latest announcements from their airlines," he said when contacted, adding that the state authorities will monitor developments about flight disruptions.
Mount Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Straits between Jawa and Sumatera, began erupting at 11.07pm local time on Friday and has continued to do so from midnight till 6 am on Saturday.
Flight operations at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have been suspended till 1.30 pm local time today (2.30 pm, Malaysia time). - Bernama
