Frans Seda Maumere Airport Closed, Four Flights Cancelled Due to Lewotobi Eruption

Frans Seda Maumere Airport in Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has been temporarily closed due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Flores. The closure is in effect from Saturday until Sunday (21/6) at 06.00 Wita.

“The latest information is that flight operations today, 20 June 2026, are temporarily suspended until tomorrow, 21 June 2026, at 06.00 Wita,” said Frans Seda Maumere Airport Head Partahian Panjaitan when confirmed on Saturday (20/6/2026).

As a result of the closure, four flights bound for Kupang and Makassar were cancelled. “Wings Air Maumere-Kupang, Kupang-Maumere, Makassar-Maumere, Maumere-Makassar,” he added.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted once on Saturday (20/6) between 00.00 and 06.00 Wita. The observed eruption column height reached 300 metres with grey-coloured smoke.

Herman Yosef S Mboro, an officer at the Lewotobi Laki-laki Volcano Observation Post, said the twin volcano in Flores erupted during clear to cloudy weather. Winds were blowing weakly towards the west and northwest, with air temperatures ranging from 22 to 31 degrees Celsius.

“One eruption with an amplitude of 31 millimetres and a duration of 129 seconds,” Herman stated in an official release on Saturday.

Herman urged communities around Mount Lewotobi as well as visitors or tourists not to conduct any activities within a 5-kilometre radius of the eruption centre of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki. “Residents affected by ashfall from Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki should wear masks or nose and mouth coverings to avoid the dangers of volcanic ash to the respiratory system,” he stressed.