‘Passenger safety, well-being behind flight cancellations’

The cancellation of flights between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Sarawak as well as Sabah yesterday was a precautionary measure to mitigate potential risks posed by volcanic dust to both flight safety and passenger wellbeing, said Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

The Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts said the volcanic eruption of Mount Ruang in Indonesia, which significantly disrupted many flights yesterday, was concerning.

“A significant number of flights have been impacted, including from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur or Kuching to Kuala Lumpur.

“I believe this disruption is temporary. It’s essential to ensure the safety of flights because volcanic dust can indeed pose risks to both aircraft and passengers. This precautionary measure is crucial for the wellbeing of passengers on those affected flights.

“We must take precautions. I strongly believe so because I’m also relying on the news, and this eruption is quite unexpected. I was genuinely surprised to see such an event occurring not far from us in Borneo,” he told reporters during his ministry’s Aidilfitri open house.

Thousands of passengers faced disruptions to their travel plans yesterday as airlines cancelled their flights due to the volcanic eruption.

AFP reported Indonesian rescuers raced to evacuate thousands of people yesterday after the volcano erupted five times, forcing authorities to close a nearby airport and issue a warning about falling debris that could cause a tsunami.