Adi Soemarmo International Airport in Solo, Central Java, has re-opened following a temporary closure today, which was caused by an eruption at the nearby Mount Merapi volcano.
According to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the eruption happened in the early hours of this morning, and lasted for around 7 minutes. There have been no confirmed casualties, with only minor damage caused by ash in the immediate vicinity of the mountain.
As a precaution, state-owned air navigation firm AirNav Indonesia helped to re-route all flights bound for Solo airport during its temporary closure, while also confirming the airport would re-open as soon as possible. The airport officially reopened at 15:30 local time today, though some flights continue to be delayed by adverse weather conditions, unrelated to the eruption.
Novie Riyanto is the Director General of Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry. Today he made a statement to confirm the ministry will continue monitoring Mount Merapi to ensure aviation safety.
“We will keep observing the latest developments,” said the Minister. “As for the impact on aviation, so far only Adi Soemarmo International Airport in Surakarta (Solo) is affected; it has since been closed down for the time being. We have re-routed several flights to regions that have yet to be affected by the eruption,” he added.
“We will keep coordinating with AirNav Indonesia, as well as stakeholders in the aviation sector to ensure that flights remain safe and normal,” concluded the minister.
Indonesian authorities have raised Merapi’s alert level to waspada (caution); the second of four tiers in the country’s alert system.
Panorama Destination can confirm that all clients currently in Central Java are safe and well; all tours continue to operate as normal, with flight schedules also returning to their usual operating times. We will continue to update these pages with the latest news as the story develops. For more information, please contact info@panorama-destination.com
