Scoot, other airlines cancel some flights to Indonesia and East Malaysia after Mount Ruang eruption

Scoot, other airlines cancel some flights to Indonesia and East Malaysia after Mount Ruang eruption

SINGAPORE: Budget airline Scoot on Thursday (Apr 18) cancelled a total of six flights between Singapore and East Malaysia as well as Indonesia following multiple eruptions of Mount Ruang. 

The volcano in Indonesia started erupting on Tuesday evening, pushing an ash column more than 1.5km into the sky, prompting local authorities to evacuate thousands and shut the nearest international airport in Manado city on Sulawesi island.

Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), said the cancellations were a precautionary measure. 

It cancelled two flights scheduled to depart on Friday - TR216 and TR 217. The flights were between Singapore and the Indonesian city of Manado. 

It also earlier cancelled four flights between Singapore and East Malaysia on Thursday. 

TR490 and TR491 were supposed to fly between Singapore and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah while TR414 and TR415 were scheduled to fly between Singapore and Sarawak’s Miri.

“Scoot is assisting to reaccommodate affected customers onto subsequent flights, where available,” said the airline.

“Alternatively, affected customers may also request for a full refund if they choose not to continue with their travel.”

Other airlines in the region were also affected.

For instance, Malaysia Airlines said on Facebook that nearly 20 flights between Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak on Thursday were cancelled.

For budget airline AirAsia, flights to and from nine airports including Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Kuching and Brunei were cancelled, the airline said in a news release on Thursday. 

In response to CNA's queries, an SIA spokesperson said the airline's flights were not affected by the eruption and were operating as scheduled. 

"SIA continues to monitor the situation and will adjust our flights accordingly," the spokesperson said.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Mount Ruang's eruption also led to the closure of Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado city, located more than 100km from the volcano, for 24 hours until Thursday evening.

"Scoot apologises for the inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority,” the airline said, adding that it will continue to monitor the situation and adjust its flight schedule as necessary.

Cna. (2024e, April 18). Scoot, other airlines cancel some flights to Indonesia and East Malaysia after Mount Ruang eruption. CNA. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/scoot-cancels-flights-mount-ruang-volcano-eruption-sabah-sarawak-4274791