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AirAsia cancels flights to Surabaya, Semarang and Yogyakarta
Report from The STAR dated 14 February 2014 :-
AirAsia cancels flights to Surabaya, Semarang and Yogyakarta
PETALING JAYA: AirAsia will cancel all flights to and from Surabaya, Semarang and Yogyakarta due to the airport closures caused by the volcano eruption of Mount Kelud in Indonesia.
AirAsia said on Friday that the volcanic ashes emitted from the volcano have affected the air quality in the surrounding areas, resulting in poor visibility and pose a potential threat to passengers’ safety.
“The ashes could also compromise the safety and performance of the aircraft, such as permanent damage to the engine,” said the low-budget carrier in a statement.
AirAsia said passengers affected by the flight cancellations are able to change their flights within five days of the original schedule without additional charge.
“Or (passengers) can also deposit in form of Credit shell equivalent to the value of the confirmed booking to be used for payment for any AirAsia flights.
“Credit shell is valid for 90 days from the date of issue,” it said.
The airline said it will continue to monitor the situation and will update passengers on the developments.
The volcano, which erupted on Thursday night, forced the closure of three airports in Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Solo. It was reported that the cloud from the eruption was seen as far as nine kilometres to the west.
Meanwhile Malaysia Airlines said its flights to and from Indonesia are not affected and all operations are as per scheduled.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and will notify our customers if any of our flight schedules need to be revised,” said the national carrier.
Malaysia Airlines currently flies to Jakarta, Denpasar and Medan.
Mount Kelud is situated 140km south of Surabaya. About 200,000 people live within a 10km radius of Mt Kelud, one of nearly 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.
------ KatoeyNewsNetwork
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