Bali Airport reports normal flights to NTT after earthquake

Management at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, Bali, announced that all regular flights to East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) are operating normally following the devastating earthquake in Flores, reports Indonesian media portal Tempo English.

"We can confirm that flight operations and airport services at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali are operating normally and optimally," said Gede Eka Sandi Asmadi, Head of the Communication and Legal Division at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali.

Eka Sandi explained in Denpasar on Saturday that normal conditions had persisted from the moment the earthquake struck through at least 12:00pm Central Indonesian Time (WITA).

I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport regularly serves NTT routes, connecting destinations such as Labuan Bajo and Tambolaka. 
Indonesia AirAsia, Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, Batik Air, Lion Air, Super Air Jet, and Wings Air offer both direct and transit services to the region.

The Labuan Bajo route has nine departures and eight arrivals daily, while Tambolaka records two arrivals and three departures.

Fortunately, the powerful earthquake that struck the area did not disrupt airport operations, leaving overall air traffic unaffected. "To date, flight services to and from airports across the East Nusa Tenggara region are operating normally, and there have been no flight cancellations," Eka Sandi stated.

The airport management also expressed its empathy and concern for residents affected by the natural disaster in Nagekeo and surrounding areas.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck 30 kilometers northeast of Mbay, Nagekeo Regency, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Saturday morning. Striking at 4:58am Western Indonesian Time (WIB) at a depth of 15 kilometers, the tremor initially triggered a tsunami early warning across parts of NTT and surrounding areas.