Indonesia's Merapi volcano causes (international) flight cancellations (may affect Obama's visit)

[Turborama]

Source: Washington Post

By Chico Harlan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, November 6, 2010; 1:24 PM

JAKARTA - Numerous international airlines canceled flights to and from Indonesia's capital Saturday amid concerns about volcanic ash from Mount Merapi. The volcano, which is about 280 miles west of Jakarta, killed scores of people Friday with its most violent eruption in a century.

Although the capital's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport remained open, at least 11 airlines - responsible for 36 flights - shut down operations. One airport spokesman told the Agence France-Presse news service that travel conditions remain safe, adding, "Actually, the ash hasn't reached Jakarta."

Continued flight difficulties would raise concerns about an upcoming trip to Indonesia for President Obama, who twice delayed visits this year to his boyhood home. Obama, who embarked Friday on a 10-day Asia trip, is due to arrive in Jakarta on Tuesday. The White House has not yet indicated that his trip to Indonesia is in jeopardy.

Singapore Airlines, JAL and Lufthansa were among the airlines that suspended flights Saturday, causing chaos at the departure terminal here and in the lobbies of hotels, where travelers were trying to readjust their itineraries. The scene was reminiscent of the widespread chaos in April caused by the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokul volcano, which choked European air travel for a week.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/06/AR2010110600497.html

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Airlines suspend flights to Jakarta after Merapi spews ash five miles into air

Move comes as death toll climbs to 138 as Indonesian volcano unleashes searing gas that torches nearby villages

Staff and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Saturday November 5 2010 16.43 GMT

Several airlines have suspended flights into Indonesia's capital Jakarta after Mount Merapi's worst eruption in a century spewed volcanic ash up to five miles (8km) into the air.

The move came as number of people killed by Mount Merapi in the last two weeks climbed to 138 after the volcano unleashed a surge of searing gas yesterday that torched houses and trees and incinerated villagers.

Officials at Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific and AirAsia fear the ash is a safety threat and could damage aircraft.

"The volcanic ash presence in the airways surrounding Jakarta could cause severe damage to our aircraft and engines which could impair the safety of our operations including passengers and crew," said Azharuddin Osman, director of operations for Malaysia Airlines.

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/06/airlines-suspend-flights-indonesia-mount-merapi-erupts

Earlier news stories: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4600706



Washington Post has more photos (warning, some of them are very disturbing): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/10/26/GA2010102603115.html

[Ruby the Liberal]

1. That pic on the right is stunning in its beauty and its danger.

[Turborama]

2. I just found a bigger version on Al Jazeera English's site...

From here: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/11/201011614253455127.html">Merapi forces flight cancellations

Lightning strikes as Mount Merapi volcano erupted today, spewing out towering clouds of hot
gas and debris, as seen from Ketep village in Magelang, Indonesia's Central Java province.

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. Wow! *right click & save file as*

Just wow!

[Turborama]

7. I've found an even bigger one and added it to an OP in GD

Warning, there are some very graphic images of victims towards the end of the photo essay: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9506514

[Divine Discontent]

5. eerily powerful! hope the people will be safe. they are just in an area

that has such wild seismic/volcanic activity, just wow.

[Turborama]

4. Eruptions continue Sunday, dozens more flights cancelled and officials warn the death toll will rise

Volcano causes more flight chaos in Indonesia

The ash clouds bellowing out of Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano on Sunday caused the cancellation of dozens more flights as officials warned the death toll from the latest eruption would rise.

Airlines cancelled 50 flights on Sunday and 36 flights were cancelled on Saturday, in an echo of events in Iceland earlier this year when volcanic ash led to thousands of cancellations and transport chaos across Europe.

"Fifty flights to and from Jakarta from 15 airlines have been cancelled today for safety reasons, they are mostly flights which pass through Singapore," Soekarno-Hatta International Airport spokesman Sudaryanto said.

The airlines affected include Singapore Airlines, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa.

The spokesman said Jakarta airport, which handles around 900 flights per day, remained open.

More: http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/volcano-causes-more-flight-chaos-indonesia

[Turborama]

6. Exclusive: Officials Worried President Obama May Have to Cancel Indonesia Trip Due to Indonesian Vol

Exclusive: Officials Worried President Obama May Have to Cancel Indonesia Trip Due to Indonesian Volcano
November 07, 2010 11:36 AM

ABC News: Ann Compton reports:

ABC News has learned that because of the dangerous clouds of ash spewing from an Indonesian volcano, 48 hours before Air Force One is due to touch down in the capital Jakarta White House officials are concerned President Obama may not be able to make the trip.

Some commercial flights into Jakarta have been cancelled.

Flights of government equipment and personnel to preposition in Indonesia are no longer flying during nighttime hours as a safety precaution, sources tell ABC News. That equipment and personnel are necessary for the president to be able to make his visit.

This would be the first time in memory a President could be forced to cancel a stop while he is overseas, and it remains unclear when a White House decision will come and how it will affect the remainder of his Asian trip.

President Obama has already twice cancelled announced plans to go to Indonesia where he lived as a boy. In March he was to take daughters during their spring vacation from school, but he scrapped the overseas trip to work on passage of his health care reforms in Congress. The second cancellation came in June during the BP oil spill crisis.

More: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/11/exclusive-officials-worried-president-obama-may-have-to-cancel-indonesia-trip-due-to-indonesian-volc.html

[Turborama]

8. Update: Skies Clear for Obama Arrival in Indonesia

ABC News' Ann Compton reports:

President Obama will not have to disappoint his Indonesian hosts a third time.

Jakarta airport officials say Monday morning the skies have cleared of volcanic ash which forced the cancellation of some commercial flights and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says, “We are continuing to monitor, but we are proceeding with plans to depart for Indonesia tomorrow.”

This morning air traffic is reported normal and security helicopters have been seen flying over the capital Jakarta, presumably in preparation for the Obama arrival Tuesday. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been working from a mountain outpost near the erupting Mt. Merapi, the largest of Indonesia’s active range of active volcanoes, but he is expected to helicopter back to Jakarta to welcome the American president.

Mr. Obama, who lived in Indonesia as a child, twice cancelled planned visits earlier this year because of pressing issues back in Washington.

From: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/11/skies-clear-for-obama-arrival-in-indonesia.html