Lombok Flight Services Not Disrupted by Mount Semeru's Eruption

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I, which operates Lombok Airport, West Nusa Tenggara, has said that flight activities at the airport have not been affected by the latest eruption of Mount Semeru.

"Until now, there has been no cancellation of flights to and from Surabaya related to the eruption of Mount Semeru," a public relations official at the airport, Arif Haryanto, said in Praya, Central Lombok, on Monday.

Based on information from Airnav, on Sunday (December 4, 2022), Mount Semeru spewed hot clouds reaching a height of 1,500 meters above its summit and triggered a number of quakes between 2:46 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. local time, he added.

An ASHTAM warning (number VAWR3537) was issued for areas affected by the eruption, namely Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, and Abdurahman Saleh Airport, Malang, he informed.

"Based on the results of the coordination and temporary inspection at the location, the condition of the flight navigation personnel and facilities was safe, including the runway for take-off activities or aircraft landing," Haryanto said.

Flight operations and flight navigation services at Juanda and Abdurrahman Saleh airports are running normally, he added. Airport personnel are continuing to remain vigilant to anticipate other possible eruptions since East Java is one of the areas that frequently experience volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

"AirNav Indonesia continues to coordinate with aviation stakeholders regarding updates on conditions on the ground," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Mount Semeru in Lumajang district, West Java, which is located at a height of 3,676 meters above sea level, was reported to have continued spewing hot clouds reaching an amplitude of 25 mm and triggered an earthquake that lasted 386 seconds.

An officer from the Semeru Volcano Observation Post (PPGA), Mukdas Sofian, said that during the observation period—from midnight till 6 a.m. local time on December 5, 2022— Mount Semeru released one cloud avalanche with an amplitude of 25 mm and caused an earthquake that lasted 386 seconds.

"As a result of observing today's seismicity for six hours, Mount Semeru also experienced 29 eruptions with an amplitude of 11–22 mm and an earthquake duration of 65–120 seconds," Sofian added.

According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the eruption forced 1,979 people to seek refuge at 11 locations.

ANTARA

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