Jakarta. Flights and airport operations in East Nusa Tenggara have been disrupted by the ongoing eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki as of Thursday. Several airports remain closed, while others have resumed limited operations due to safety concerns.

The Transportation Ministry reported that H. Hasan Aroeboesman Ende Airport, Soa Bajawa Airport, Frans Sales Lega Ruteng Airport, and Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Maumere Airport have not yet resumed operations.

However, some airports have reopened, including Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo, Lewoleba Airport, Waingapu Airport, Salahudin Airport, Bima Airport, and Lede Kalumbang Airport in Tambolaka.

Despite the partial reopening of some airports, several airlines have canceled flights citing safety concerns. This includes cancellations at Lombok International Airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, and Komodo Airport.

"On Thursday, three international flights were canceled at Lombok Airport. At Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, 41 flights were canceled. Meanwhile, at Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo, 12 domestic flights and two international flights were also canceled," said Budi Rahardjo, the Ministry of Transportation spokesman, in an official statement on Thursday.

To address the limited airport operations, the Ministry has increased the number of ships and sailing frequencies to accommodate affected passengers. As of Thursday at 8:00 a.m. Central Indonesia Time, 119 ships had carried 4,387 passengers.

Ferry services continue to operate, transporting both people and goods, including aid for eruption victims. On Thursday, the KMP Ranaka ship departed from Kupang to Larantuka, carrying 13 trucks of aid from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and two trucks from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Bali and Lombok Updates

Although volcanic ash was not detected in Bali’s airspace, several airlines still canceled flights to and from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali.

The airport operator reported that 41 flights were canceled on Thursday, including 11 domestic flights and 32 international flights. On Wednesday, 115 flights were canceled, including 32 domestic flights and 83 international flights.

In Lombok on Wednesday, international flights to and from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore were canceled, affecting nearly 4,000 passengers.

Lombok Airport spokesperson Arif Haryanto confirmed that all domestic and international flights are now operating smoothly, although conditions remain dependent on wind direction and volcanic activity.