Minister asks airlines to facilitate refund-reschedule for air passengers
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has asked all airlines to ensure that the rights of passengers affected by the closure of eight airports due to the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau are fulfilled through refund or flight rescheduling services.
“We have conveyed that all airlines must facilitate passengers’ rights to reschedule or refund their tickets,” the minister said when confirmed in Jakarta on Sunday.
Even so, the minister admitted he had not yet received reports of airlines that have processed refunds, but all flight operators have been asked to facilitate passenger rights in accordance with applicable regulations.
“We have not received reports (of airlines that have already served refunds),” he said.
In addition to refunds and rescheduling, the Ministry of Transportation is also opening the option of using alternative airports so that public travel can continue while operations at the eight affected airports remain temporarily suspended.
The alternative airports prepared include Kertajati Airport in Majalengka, Ahmad Yani Airport in Semarang, Juanda Airport in Surabaya, Yogyakarta International Airport, and Adi Soemarmo Airport in Solo.
The government, together with InJourney Airports, is also providing free land transportation in the form of trains and buses for passengers whose flights are diverted from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten to these alternative airports.
Meanwhile, information regarding flight diversions will be conveyed directly to each passenger by their respective airline.
Passengers can then choose to continue their journey through the alternative airport designated by the airline or cancel their journey according to their needs and the available service policies.
The minister stressed that the government continues to strive to maintain passenger services through the fulfilment of refund and reschedule rights, the provision of supporting transportation, and intensive coordination with all aviation stakeholders.
The Ministry of Transportation has confirmed that passengers affected by flight cancellations due to the closure of several airports as a result of the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption will receive a full 100 percent ticket refund.
“Regarding flight cancellations or refunds, a 100 percent refund applies,” said Lukman.
He emphasised that the 100 percent ticket refund is a form of service to the public, so that passengers do not suffer losses due to flight cancellations that occur because of aviation safety factors.
As of Sunday evening, eight airports remained closed due to volcanic ash from the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption, including Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, and Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung.
Also closed are Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, Budiarto Airport in Curug, Tangerang, Pondok Cabe Airport in South Tangerang, Taufik Kiemas Airport in West Coast Lampung, and Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, South Sumatra.