KUALA LUMPUR: The reopening of Denpasar International Airport in Bali, Indonesia, would be dependent on the changes in the prevailing weather conditions.
Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said the North Easterly wind has spread the volcanic ash clouds from Mount Agung to cover an extended area of Bali including the location of the airport.
"The relevant air navigation service provider will need to be satisfied that the related air navigation corridors can be made available for use by airline operators," it said in a statement today.
AAPA noted the final decision to operate rests with individual airlines and is based on comprehensive risk assessment methodologies.
“Different airlines may reach different conclusions depending on specific operational factors including the duration of the proposed flight and the availability of suitable alternate airports in case of unplanned diversions,” it said.
AAPA said airlines constantly evaluate a range of safety, operational, meteorological, security and other factors in planning aircraft operations and flights worldwide.
“This involves comprehensive risk assessments and contingency planning for all operations, with safety and security always the number one priority.”
AAPA suggested passengers should update their personal contact information with the relevant airlines and need to pay close attention on further updates and advisories issued by the Indonesian authorities.
The closure of Denpasar airport recently was due to the presence of volcanic ash in the surrounding airspace that caused disruption to airline operations.
It said all affected airlines are closely monitoring developments, including updates provided by the Indonesian authorities, meteorological service providers and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre based in Darwin, Australia.