TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Authorities have reopened Lombok International Airport (LIA) following a report from Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) saying that the weather condition has improved.

Oral Sem Wilar, head of the Meteorology Station at Lombok International Airport, quoted the information based on an observation conducted with the Darwin VAAC’s satellite. “There was good news from Darwin VAAC,” he said on Friday, December 1.

The image sent by the VAAC shows that the Lombok airspace is free from Bali's Mount Agung volcanic ash.

Read: Lombok Airport Closed Again as Mount Agung Erupts

Wilar also quoted the results of a coordination meeting held at the LIA Emergency Office Centre to discuss the spread of Mount Agung volcanic ash. The meeting, led by LIA General Manager I Gusti Ngurah Ardita, resulted in a decision to reopen the airport as the weather condition has improved. Another meeting was scheduled to evaluate any significant changes.

It was announced earlier that Lombok International Airport was to be closed today from 6:18 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central Indonesia Time. The closure was scheduled due to the Bali's Mount Agung volcanic activities.

I Gusti Ngurah Ardita announced the closure after receiving a Notice to Airmen on December 1. “All inbound and outbound flights have been canceled until further notice,” he said.

West Nusa Tenggara Tourism Agency head Moh. Faozal said hundreds of passengers were stranded at the airport. Faozal explained that they were passengers of Silk Air serving the Singapore-Lombok route and AirAsia serving the Kuala Lumpur-Lombok route.

SUPRIYANTHO KHAFID