Aussie holidaymakers travelling to and from Bali face more delays and cancellations as volcanic ash and eruptions wreak havoc on flight schedules.
Many travellers heading to the Indonesian holiday island have had their travel plans thrown into disarray while many others returning home are stranded in Bali due to mass flight cancellations.
The chaos has been caused by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on the remote island of Flores, 1000km east of Bali.
At least 174 domestic and international flights have been cancelled in the last nine days.
Many major airlines won’t consider resuming flights in and out of Bali until Thursday at the earliest.
All Jetstar flights to and from Denpasar Airport have been cancelled until midday Thursday at the earliest.
‘We will provide an update on flights scheduled to operate after 12noon AEDT on Thursday,’ a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
‘We understand that this is a difficult situation for impacted customers. Safety is always our number one priority and we thank customers for their patience and understanding.’
A passenger stranded at Denpasar International Airport Charlie Austin (pictured) said his flight on Wednesday was cancelled and he would now fly out on Friday. Mr Austin said, ‘It’s not ideal, it’s just one of those things, can’t do anything about it… stuck in Bali.’
Thousands of passengers are stranded at Denpasar International Airport (pictured) as major airlines are not considering resuming flights in and out of Bali until Thursday
In their latest travel update Qantas advised, ‘For customers scheduled to travel Thursday 14 November, our meteorology team is closely monitoring the situation.
’Qantas added passengers will be advised by email or phone call of any impact to their scheduled flight by 10am on Thursday 14 November (AEDT).
Virgin Australia said it was proactively reaching out to impacted passengers with alternative flight options.
‘We are also communicating to guests booked to travel to and from Bali between Thursday (14 November) and Saturday (16 November) encouraging them to stay updated on the latest flight information available via our website,’ the statement added.
British tourist Charlie Austin is among thousands of stranded passengers at Denpasar International Airport.
‘It’s not ideal, it’s just one of those things, can’t do anything about it… stuck in Bali,’ told Daily Mail Australia,
Mr Austin was meant to leave on Wednesday afternoon after a three-day holiday, which has since been extended to Friday.
He said the flight cancellation meant he would be able to ‘catch a few more beers by the pool… and get a few more waves… a few more Bintangs.’
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on the remote island of Flores, 1000km east of Bali. erupted on Sunday, killing nine as it spewed ash 9km into the air
Stranded travellers are unable to fly out of the holiday island of Bali and others can’t return to Australia due to mass flight cancellations caused by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki
In disturbing news for travellers, volcano expert Emeritus Professor of Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences Chris Elders told Perth Now the flight disruptions could be ongoing.
‘Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki has been erupting since December 2023, but a cycle of particularly violent eruptions started in early November,’ Professor Elders said.
‘The fact this volcano is about 800km east of Bali on a completely different island (Flores) gives an idea of the force of the eruption.’
Professor Elders said it is hard to predict the duration of the eruptive cycles and whether they will continue at the same level of intensity.
‘However, we know volcanoes throughout Indonesia are prone to similar explosive styles of eruption and impacts on air travel will always be a risk — in addition to the potentially more catastrophic effects on those who live nearby,’ he said.
Aussie influencer Lauren Bullen who lives in Bali with her partner and newborn baby asked her two million Instagram followers for information after her flight was cancelled.
‘No no no no no anyone have info on flight cancellations in Bali?? I have a very important weekend in Australia,’ Ms Bullen said.
Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, more commonly known as Denpasar International Airport is ‘in principle, still open.’
‘We emphasise that according to the results of observations from the paper test, no volcanic ash was found in the Gusti Ngurah Rai airport area,’ general manager Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said.
‘On Wednesday until 1pm Bali Time, there are 26 domestic flights, namely 13 departures and 13 arrivals that were affected.’
‘Meanwhile, there are 64 international flights, namely 34 departures and 30 arrivals that are affected.’
‘For international flights, there were flights that were canceled by the airlines based on their respective policies, taking into account aspects of flight security and safety.’
‘For services for affected flight passengers, we have prepared a help desk located on the 2nd floor of the international terminal and the customer service area of the domestic terminal.’
The volcano erupted on Sunday, killing nine as it spewed ash 9km into the air.
Indonesian authorities have been trying to evacuate 16,000 locals from nearby villages as the eruptions continue.
It is dangerous to fly with volcanic ash in the air because it is abrasive and hard, which can damage parts of the plane, mainly the propellers.
Volcanic ash can also reduce visibility, making it even more hazardous to fly.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
