Dozens of Dutch travellers have been stranded in Indonesia after a volcanic eruption forced the closure of Jakarta’s international airport, according to the travel industry association ANVR.
An ANVR spokesperson confirmed the situation following a report by De Telegraaf. The affected travellers are Dutch nationals taking part in organised tours.
The airport has been closed since Sunday morning. ANVR said it remains unclear what will happen next and when it will be safe for flights to resume.
Volcanic ash in the air has made it unsafe for aircraft to take off or land. Several other airports in Indonesia have also suspended flights. Reuters reported, citing Indonesia’s Minister of Transport, that more than 270,000 travellers have been affected.
KLM operates flights to Jakarta via Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. A KLM spokesperson said the airline has cancelled its Jakarta flights for the past two days.
The next scheduled flight has also been cancelled because the airport remains closed.
“Passengers on the cancelled flights are being rebooked onto the first available flight,” KLM said.
Jakarta’s main airport is expected to remain closed until at least 6:00 p.m. local time on Monday.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
