Gunung Agung Meletus, Kian Banyak Maskapai Asing Batalkan Penerbangan
More Bali Flights Cancelled on Forecast of Volcanic Ash
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
KIAN BANYAK maskapai penerbangan yang membatalkan penerbangan dari Bali ke pada Sabtu, merujuk pada perkiraan prakiraan cuaca terhadap keselamatan penerbangan akibat meningkatnya abu vulkanis yang dimuntahkan oleh letusan Gunung Agung.
Juru bicara Bandara Internasional Ngurah Rai Denpasar mengatakan bandara tersebut masih beroperasi normal, namun maskapai penerbangan seperti Jetstar dan Virgin Australia memilih untuk membatalkan beberapa jadwal penerbangannya.
"Kondisi cuaca Bali diperkirakan akan cerah sepanjang hari, namun perkiraan untuk malam ini terus memburuk sehingga beberapa penerbangan dibatalkan," kata maskapai penerbangan Jetstar Australia di akun Twitter-nya.
Letusan gunung berapi memaksa ditutupnya Ngurah Rai untuk sebagian besar jadwal penerbangan pekan ini, mengakibatkan ribuan wisatawan asing dari Australia, China dan negara-negara lain, sebelum angin berubah dan penerbangan dibuka kembali.
Dua puluh jadwal penerbangan dibatalkan pada Jumat malam karena kekhawatiran terhadap risiko abu vulkanis. Beberapa maskapai termasuk AirAsia dari Malaysia menegaskan bahwa mereka hanya akan beroperasi di luar Bali pada siang hari, karena abu vulkanis dapat mengganggu jarak pandang pada malam hari dan kondisi angin di daerah tersebut tidak dapat diprediksi.
Maskapai menghindari terbang melalui abu vulkanik karena dapat merusak mesin pesawat terbang, menyumbat bahan bakar dan sistem pendingin, menghambat jarak pandang pilot dan bahkan mengakibatkan kerusakan mesin.
Ada juga kekhawatiran mengenai perubahan kondisi cuaca dengan siklon tropis di selatan pulau Jawa yang berdampak pada cuaca dan angin di daerah tersebut, termasuk di Bali, kata Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG).
Dengan beberapa maskapai penerbangan yang terbang normal pada Sabtu, tetap saja membuat frustrasi para penumpang.
Pasangan Australia Justine dan Greg Hill yang sedang berlibur bersama dua anak remaja mereka dan berencana meninggalkan Bali hari ini namun penerbangan mereka kemudian dibatalkan.
"Ini lebih merepotkan daripada apapun, sulit dimengerti mengapa ada maskapai penerbangan lain terbang, ada yang tidak. Tentunya harus ada protokol pengaman tapi tidak ada penjelasan rinci," kata Greg Hill, 46, yang sedang menunggu di bandara.
Beberapa konsulat asing telah mendirikan gerai di sekitar terminat keberangkatan internasional untuk membantu penumpang yang terlantar.
Subrata Sarkar, wakil konsul India di Bali, mengatakan kepada Reuters di terminal keberangkatan internasional bahwa mereka telah membantu sekitar 500 penumpang pekan ini.
"Kami telah memberi tahu bahwa gunung berapi tersebut dapat meletus sewaktu-waktu. Kami tidak bisa mengatakan 'tolong jangan datang'. Namun kami telah mengeluarkan travel advisories jika kondisinya mendesak, Oke, tapi kalau hanya untuk berwisata, maka rencananya harus dipertimbangkan kembali," kata Sarkar seperti dilansir MailOnline.
AIRLINES cancelled more flights departing the Indonesian holiday island of Bali on Saturday, citing forecasts of deteriorating flying conditions due to a risk of volcanic ash from the erupting Mount Agung volcano.
A Bali airport spokesman said the airport was still operating normally, but airlines such as Jetstar and Virgin Australia had opted to cancel some flights
"Bali flying conditions expected to be clear throughout the day, but forecast for tonight has deteriorated so several flights have been cancelled," Australian budget airline Jetstar said on its Twitter account.
The erupting volcano had closed the airport for much of this week, stranding thousands of visitors from Australia, China and other countries, before the winds changed and flights resumed
Twenty flights were cancelled on Friday evening due to concerns over ash. Some airlines including Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd have said they would only operate out of Bali during the day, as the ash could impair visibility at night and wind conditions in the area were unpredictable.
Airlines avoid flying through volcanic ash as it can damage aircraft engines, clogging fuel and cooling systems, hampering pilot visibility and even causing engine failure.
There are also concerns over changing weather conditions with a tropical cyclone south of Java island impacting weather and wind in the area, including for Bali, the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics agency said
With some airlines continuing to fly normally on Saturday, there was frustration among passengers.
Australian couple Justine and Greg Hill were on holiday with their two teenage children and had been due to fly out today but their flight later this evening was cancelled.
"It's more an inconvenience than anything. Don't understand why if other airlines are flying, some others aren't. Obviously there must be safety protocols but there's no detailed explanation," said Greg Hill, 46, who was waiting at the airport.
Several foreign consulates have set up booths in the international departures area to assist stranded passengers.
Subrata Sarkar, India's vice consul in Bali, told Reuters at the airport's international departure area that they had helped around 500 passengers so far this week.
"We have advised citizens the volcano may erupt. We never say 'please don´t come'. But we have issued travel advisories. If it´s urgent business, then ok, but if it´s only tourism, then plans should be reconsidered," said Sarkar.
