The Ngurah Rai International Bali Airport announced that it will not be serving flights for 24-hours starting at 06:00 local time on Sunday, March 14, as Balinese Hindus will perform the Nyepi (Day of Silence). 

According to state-airport operator Angkasa Pura I (AP I), the temporary airport closure will come into effect until 06:00 the following day on March 15. 

“During that time, the airport will not serve domestic flights and chartered flights,” said Angkasa Pura I spokesperson Denoan Rinaldi on March 8.

Ngurah Rai Airport has seen an 89 percent drop in arrivals for the past two months due to the pandemic with only serving 369,569 passengers in January and February. Compared to the same period last year, the Bali Airport served up to 3.6 million passengers in 2020.

The closure is a form of respect towards the Day of Silence, but AP I is on stand-by for any emergency flight. 

According to Denoan, the global aviation industry and customers alike have been informed regarding this policy. He said that flight rescheduling will automatically be implemented as the Bali Airport closes for Nyepi. 

Source: tempo.co