RM10,000 and a detour via Surabaya: Malaysian family stranded in Indonesia scrambles to get home after ash cloud cancels flights

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — A Malaysian family facing flight cancellations due to volcanic ash disruptions has ended up spending around RM10,000 to return home. Wan Nor Ridani, 29, explained that his family opted for a detour through Surabaya before flying to Senai, Johor, as all direct flights from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur were booked.

The family had already planned to purchase new tickets from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur for the following day but decided against it after airport authorities indicated no certainty of normalcy. Airport operations remained suspended intermittently, extending until 6pm today, leaving stranded passengers to devise their own solutions.

The airport's suspension left the family with no choice but to drive to Surabaya and then take a flight to Senai, as direct flights to Kuala Lumpur were sold out. Wan Nor Ridani had to part ways with some family members as they couldn't secure flights from Surabaya, leaving them still searching for alternative arrangements. The ongoing eruption of Anak Krakatau since Friday has spread volcanic ash across the region, leading to the suspension of both domestic and international flights and forcing several airports to halt operations.

This disruption has also caused a surge in hotel demand near the airports, with many properties already fully booked. The queues to reschedule flights are extremely long, with some passengers waiting since morning and only being served in the afternoon.