KOTA KINABALU, Sabah – Volcanic ash from Indonesia’s Mount Ruang’s latest eruption on April 30 could enter Borneo airspace with possible disruptions to flight operations until May 5, said Malaysia’s weather agency.
In its aviation weather warning issued on April 30 night, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said dust from the volcano could potentially endanger flights.
MetMalaysia director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said operations in the Kota Kinabalu Flight Information Region might be affected.
Based on the trajectory model from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, volcanic dust is expected to enter the national airspace and have a significant impact throughout the forecast period until May 5, he said in a statement. “MetMalaysia is monitoring the volcanic dust movement continuously and will update the information and issue aviation weather warnings if necessary,” he added.
MetMalaysia also advised the public to stay updated on information it releases through its website, myCuaca app or on social media.
Mount Ruang in northern Sulawesi, situated to the east of Sabah, erupted again on April 30 morning and spewed dust that filled the surrounding airspace up to a height of 20km.
The April 30 eruption follows a series of eruptions earlier in April that forced hundreds to evacuate.
It also caused 214 flights in and out of Sabah and Sarawak to be affected on April 18 and 19.
Still, for now, Sabah airports remain operational, although some airlines retimed or cancelled some flights into the state amid fears of volcanic ash from Mount Ruang spreading towards Sabah again.
Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) and Tawau Airport officials said operations continued despite delays, rescheduling and cancellations by some airlines for flights in and out of the airports on May 1.
Since late April 30 evening, at least six flights between Kuala Lumpur and Tawau had been cancelled or retimed by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia, but were reinstated on May 1. The retiming and cancellation of the flights resulted in many passengers waiting out April 30 night at Tawau Airport before getting on the reinstated flights from late May 1 morning.
“Things are getting better. There were passengers with changes in their flight times. The airlines are trying to facilitate them with further assistance,” Tawau Airport manager Yakub Abu Bakar said when contacted by The Star.
On May 1, two Kuala Lumpur-Sandakan return flights by MAS were cancelled.
When contacted, KKIA senior manager Jefry Ramli said that so far, there are no general disruptions to flights in and out of the international airport.
“Our operations are fine,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
