Penang: Six flights from Penang International Airport to Jakarta, Indonesia were cancelled today following the temporary closure of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport due to volcanic dust from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Penang Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the cancellations involved AirAsia, TransNusa and Batik Air flights and affected about 1,000 passengers. "Passengers have received early announcements by airlines about their flight cancellations as soon as airport operations in Jakarta were ordered close, so there isn't any extraordinary congestion at the airport," he said.

Wong added that flights will depend on the situation at the airport in Jakarta and advised passengers to follow the latest announcements from their airlines. He noted that the state authorities will monitor developments about flight disruptions. Checks by Bernama at the Penang International Airport found that passenger movement was normal at the arrival and departure halls.

Mount Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Straits between Jawa and Sumatera, began erupting at 11.07 pm local time on Friday and has continued to do so from midnight till 6 am yesterday. Flight operations at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have been suspended till 1.30 pm local time today (2.30 pm, Malaysia time).