Cabinet Secretary: Several flights diverted to Kertajati, Whoosh prepared

Cabinet Secretary (Seskab) Teddy Indra Wijaya said a number of flights to Jakarta will be diverted to Kertajati Airport, West Java, and the government will prepare buses and the Whoosh high-speed train for passengers travelling to Jakarta.

In a Cabinet Secretariat broadcast quoted from Jakarta on Sunday, Seskab Teddy said that as the volcanic ash conditions from Mount Anak Krakatau develop, adjustments to flights are being made, including the temporary suspension of operations at Soekarno-Hatta Airport until 17.30 WIB today.

“Several flights to Jakarta, especially Garuda Indonesia, have been diverted to land at Kertajati Airport, West Java. Bus services and the Whoosh from Kertajati to Jakarta are being prepared,” said Seskab Teddy.

The Cabinet Secretary also said that PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) has added trains to Jakarta from Surabaya, Malang, Semarang and Yogyakarta, where airports in those locations are currently operating under normal conditions.

Furthermore, in anticipation of potential health disruptions caused by volcanic ash, Seskab reminded the public to continue wearing masks and glasses when outside the home. It is also necessary to wash hands and face after returning from outdoors and to dampen dust before cleaning it.

Previously, the Ministry of Transportation announced that six airports were temporarily closed due to volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau. The temporary closures were implemented to ensure flight safety.

The airports experiencing temporary closures include Radin Inten Airport in Lampung, Soekarno-Hatta in Tangerang, Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta, Pondok Cabe, Budiarto Curug in Tangerang and Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung.