Mount Ruang Eruption Forces Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia to Cancel Sabah and Sarawak Flights

Following Mount Ruang’s volcanic eruption in Indonesia, Several flights linking Sabah, Sarawak, and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) were cancelled today, April 18.Malaysia Airlines has cancelled 19 flights, and Air Asia has cancelled 16.

Malaysia Airline stated on Facebook that 11 flights to or from Sabah were impacted, and they are as follows:

· MH7420 (KUL-TWU)
· MH7421 (TWU-KUL)
· MH2612 (KUL-BKI)
· MH2621 (BKI-KUL)
· MH2710 (KUL-SDK)
· MH2711 (SDK-KUL)
· MH2610 (KUL-BKI)
· MH2611 (BKI-KUL)
· MH7404 (KUL-BKI)
· MH7405 (BKI-KUL)
· MH2613 (BKI-KUL)

Meanwhile, the eight affected flights to or from Sarawak are:

· MH2520 (KUL-KCH)
· MH2513 (KCH-KUL)
· MH2542 (KUL-KCH)
· MH2543 (KCH-KUL)
· MH2574 (KUL-MYY)
· MH2575 (MYY-KUL)
· MH2742 (KUL-BTU)
· MH2473 (BTU-KUL)

Malaysia Airlines added that “given the evolving situation, they will continue to closely monitor developments.” Further updates on flight cancellations will be posted here and communicated directly to affected customers.”

Malaysia Airlines also stated that it is attempting to accommodate passengers affected by flight cancellations on alternate flights as the situation gradually improves.Passengers are encouraged to update their contact information on Malaysia Airlines’ website, My Booking, in order to get timely updates via email and SMS.

AirAsia announced today that eight scheduled flights between KLIA and Tawau had been cancelled.Eight flights between KLIA and Kota Kinabalu have also been cancelled, bringing the total number of impacted flights between KLIA, Kota Kinabalu, and Tawau to sixteen.

The flights affected are:

Regarding the cancellations, AirAsia stated that passengers on cancelled flights may make a one-time modification to any new travel date within 30 days of the original departure date on the same route at no additional cost, subject to seat availability.

It stated that people affected can keep the amount of the flight booking in their airasia Rewards member account for future travel with AirAsia, which must be redeemed within 730 calendar days (2 years) following the issuance date.

“The travel date of the new booking can fall on any date within the published flight schedule on airasia.com,” it stated, adding that those who want to make booking adjustments online can do so at airasia.com or AirAsia MOVE (formerly known as airasia Superapp).

“From the available categories, select ‘Booking Changes’, then ‘Flight Change’, and lastly ‘My flight was altered by AirAsia.’ “From there, simply follow the instructions to make changes to your reservation,” the airline stated.It also stated that it is continue to monitor Mount Ruang’s volcanic activity and would offer updates on the latest developments.

Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano in North Sulawesi Province, erupted around 9.45 p.m. on Tuesday (1345 GMT) and again four times on Wednesday, according to the country’s volcanology agency.On Wednesday evening, the alert level for the volcano, which has a height of 725 meters above sea level, was upgraded from three to four, the highest level in the four-tiered system.

A volcano erupted three times in Indonesia’s far north on Wednesday, prompting authorities to raise the alert level to the highest level after the dome shot a column of smoke more than a mile into the sky, forcing hundreds to escape.Ruang’s initial eruption late Tuesday blasted an ash column two kilometers (1.2 miles) into the sky, with the second explosion pushing it to 2.5 kilometers, according to Muhammad Wafid, the geological agency’s chairman, in a statement issued earlier Wednesday.

There were no recorded deaths or injuries, but more than 800 people were evacuated from two Ruang Island settlements to nearby Tagulandang Island, which is more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Manado, according to state agency Antara.Indonesia, a massive archipelago nation, has frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc where tectonic plates meet that spans from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.