PETALING JAYA: The transport ministry is closely monitoring the latest volcanic eruptions at Mount Ruang, Indonesia.
The volcano was reported to have erupted three times yesterday, spewing lava with ash spreading as far as Malaysia, Bernama reported.
Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said the eruption of Mount Ruang affected some airspace in Tawau, Sabah, causing some flights to the district to be diverted to Kota Kinabalu yesterday.
He said any decision, including the closure of airspace and any national airport, would be decided by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), taking into account safety factors.
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“That is their authority, not the minister, (and) they only need to inform the minister of the decision.
“However, if the situation (eruptions) does not affect our airspace, why close it? I think the act of closing any airport is the last step that needs to be taken,” he said here today.
Loke, who is also the DAP secretary-general, said this when met by reporters after holding campaign activities with Pakatan Harapan candidate Pang Sock Tao, who is representing the unity government, for the Kuala Kubu Baharu state by-election here.
The volcano had erupted on April 18, disrupting several domestic flights and affecting tens of thousands of passengers.
The eruption from Mount Ruang spewed lava and ash more than 5km into the sky.
AirNav Indonesia, a government-owned air traffic control provider, in a notice, announced that seven airports in that country had to be closed following the latest eruption, including in Manado.
Earlier, Malaysia Airlines said it would reinstate, with a new timing, some flights that were initially cancelled due to the volcanic eruptions.
However, the airline said some flights would remain cancelled until further notice.
“Updates will be provided periodically and communicated directly to affected customers,” it said in a statement today.
“To minimise the inconvenience caused by the unforeseen cancellations, Malaysia Airlines is offering affected customers a one-time change to their travel itinerary free of charge, or they can opt for a full refund irrespective of their fare family,” it said.
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