The cancellations impacted major airlines operating routes between Bali and cities in Australia, India, Singapore and China
A major volcanic eruption in eastern Indonesia has led to widespread flight cancellations affecting the popular resort island of Bali, with significant disruptions across international and domestic routes.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584 m volcano located on the tourist island of Flores, erupted on Tuesday evening, sending an ash plume up to 10 km into the sky and prompting authorities to raise the alert status to the highest level. The eruption was so intense that the ash cloud was visible from 150 km away and volcanic ash rained down on several nearby villages, leading to evacuations.
Reportedly, the eruption’s fallout was felt most acutely at Bali’s international airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai, where at least two dozen flights, both inbound and outbound, were cancelled on Wednesday. The cancellations impacted major airlines operating routes between Bali and cities in Australia, India, Singapore and China. Jetstar and Virgin Australia cancelled multiple flights to and from Australian cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, while Air New Zealand also suspended its services to and from Bali. Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its subsidiary Scoot cancelled flights from Singapore’s Changi Airport to Bali and Lombok. China’s Juneyao Airlines and Singapore’s Tigerair were among other international carriers affected. There is no indication from available information that other major international carriers such as Emirates, Cathay Pacific, or Garuda Indonesia have cancelled Bali flights at this time, though travellers are advised to check with their airlines for updates.
Additionally, from India, Air India’s flight AI2145, which was en route from Delhi to Bali, was instructed to return to Delhi due to dense volcanic ash in the air. Air Asia also cancelled domestic flights from Bali to Labuan Bajo on Flores, further compounding travel disruptions
While airport operations remain normal in terms of infrastructure, the actual flight schedules are being adjusted on a case-by-case basis depending on the airline and route. Jetstar stated that some afternoon flights would be delayed until the ash cleared, with forecasts indicating improvement later in the evening
In addition to the disruption at Bali’s airport, the eruption has also led to the closure of Maumere Airport in East Nusa Tenggara province and forced the evacuation of several villages near the volcano. Authorities raised the volcano’s alert status to the highest level, expanding the danger zone to 8 km from the crater and warning of potential lahar floods, that are mixed ash and lava flows, and ongoing volcanic tremors.
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