The剧烈爆发的莱沃托比火山，佛罗雷斯岛上的3个重要机场关闭。 Note: The original request was in Indonesian, but the provided translation was in Chinese. I've translated it back to English as requested. However, the original English translation should be: "The剧烈爆发的莱沃托比火山，佛罗雷斯岛上的3个重要机场关闭。" translates to "The violent eruption of Mount Lewotobi causes three major airports in Flores to close."

WARTAKOTALIVECOM, Flores -- Three airports in Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), were officially closed starting Wednesday, June 18, 2025, following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in East Flores Regency.

This closure is caused by volcanic ash spreading and depositing on the runway and operational areas of the airport, which poses a potential risk to flight safety.

Closed Airport and Reason for Closure

The three airports that were closed are:

• Bandara Frans Seda Maumere (Kabupaten Sikka)
• Bandara H. Hasan Aroeboesman Ende (Kabupaten Ende)
• Bandara Soa Bajawa (Kabupaten Ngada)

PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia Bandara El Tari Kupang, as reported by Antara, stated that several airlines have canceled flights to three airports in Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT), due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in Wulanggitang District, East Flores Regency.

"Today, three flight routes have been canceled by the airline for operation," said El Tari Kupang Airport Public Relations I Gusti Ngurah Yudi Saputra in Kupang on Wednesday.

In addition, he also said that this is related to the impact of the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on the aviation sector in NTT, particularly on Flores Island.

On the other hand, General Manager of Airnav Branch Kupang, I Nyoman Oka Wirawa, stated that the three airports were detected to have volcanic ash (Volcanic Ash) on the runway and its surroundings, thus flight operations had to be temporarily halted for safety reasons.

The Head of Frans Seda Airport Maumere, Partahian Panjaitan, confirmed that the results of the paper test examination showed the presence of volcanic ash on the runway, thus the airport is closed today.

Meanwhile, the Head of H. Hasan Aroeboesman Ende Airport, Hariyanto, stated that the closure was carried out due to the impact of the eruption, which is feared to disrupt flights.

I would like to add that they will conduct another check every hour to determine if the closure needs to be extended.

Impact on Flight Schedule

The closure of the airport caused the cancellation of several flights. At Ende Airport, there were four flights canceled: two routes from and to Kupang, and two routes from and to Labuan Bajo.

In addition, flight cancellations also occurred on routes to and from Maumere and Bajawa.

The Head of Humas Bandara El Tari Kupang, I Gusti Ngurah Yudi Saputra, urges the affected public to contact the relevant airline's customer service for the process of refund or reschedule of their flight tickets.

Chronology of the Eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki

As reported by Kompas.com, the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki occurred on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 17:35 WITA, with a volcanic ash column reaching a height of approximately 10,000 meters above the peak, or 11,584 meters above sea level.

The thick gray ash column spreads to almost all directions of the wind, even visible up to Lembata Regency and Sikka Regency.

The Geological Agency has raised the status of Mount Lewotobi from level III (Alert) to level IV (Danger) following ongoing eruption activities.

On Wednesday morning, the mountain experienced two eruptions again, with ash plumes rising 1,000 meters above the summit.

Current Conditions and Appeal

To date, volcanic ash and gravel rain are still affecting several areas around the mountain, causing disruptions to community activities and transportation.

The authorities continue to closely monitor the conditions of the mountain and the airport intensively, and they urge the public to follow official information and remain vigilant against potential further dangers due to this eruption.

The article was published on Kompas.com with the title "Lewotobi Erupts, Flights to Flores Island Canceled: This is the List of Affected Airports." https://www.kompas.com/sumatera-utara/read/2025/06/18/100357888/lewotobi-meletus-penerbangan-ke-pulau-flores-dibatalkan-ini