Surabaya Juanda International Airport reopened to commercial carriers on Friday, July 17 following on/off closures last week. As with other airports in the region, the facility has been affected by the ongoing eruption of Mount Raung, a volcano located about 180 kilometres west of Surabaya. As such, the decision to reopen the airport comes amid an influx of passengers attempting to fly home for the Eid holidays.
"But it's conditional and there is the possibility that volcanic ash could halt air traffic again," a spokeswoman for the airport operator was quoted by state news agency Antara.
Thus far, Raung has forced Indonesian authorities to close Denpasar, Praya Lombok International as well as Banyuwangi and Jember in East Java while the eruption of Mount Gamalama has also closed Ternate on North Maluku Island.
