Indonesia's civil aviation chief warned that volcanic ash could cause aircraft engines to stop working and pose a danger to flights.
The Indonesian Ministry of Transport announced that Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport in Malang, East Java province, was temporarily closed at 10:00 a.m. on January 12 due to the eruption of Mount Semeru.
Civil Aviation Authority Director General Kristi Endah Murni warned that the volcanic ash could cause aircraft engines to stop working and pose a danger to flights.
Mount Semeru erupted on January 8, sending a column of ash 2,000 meters high in 146 seconds and a lava flow 800 meters to the southeast.
Mount Semeru, 3,676m high, is located about 850km southeast of Indonesia's capital Jakarta. In 2021, this volcano erupted violently, killing at least 50 people and forcing thousands to evacuate.