Koster assures flight cancellations do not disrupt international routes

Denpasar (ANTARA) - Bali Governor Wayan Koster has assured that flight cancellations at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport resulting from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau have not disrupted international flight routes to and from Bali.

“As for international flights to Bali, there is absolutely no disruption; they continue to run smoothly, so there is no problem,” Koster said after a plenary session of the Bali Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) in Denpasar on Monday.

He explained that the current flight disruptions only affect domestic flights, as most passenger traffic to Bali originates from Soekarno-Hatta Airport, which has been temporarily closed.

The closure of Soekarno-Hatta Airport due to volcanic ash has temporarily halted routes to and from Jakarta, as well as flights from other regions connected via Jakarta.

“It has been handled by Angkasa Pura, and there have been ticket refunds. Passengers understand the situation very well because this is a natural event — they cannot return, so they are adding extra days to stay overnight,” Governor Koster said.

As international flights remain unaffected, he believes the volcanic activity in the Sunda Strait has had no impact on the tourism sector, with visitor numbers still on a positive trend.

However, he acknowledged a significant decline in domestic tourist arrivals due to the disruption of flight routes from Jakarta, which has so far dominated arrivals at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport.