Bali tourists stranded as volcano eruption forces dozens of flight cancellations; here’s what we know
Bali airport cancelled dozens of flights due to a volcanic eruption nearby, leaving tourists stranded. Major airlines paused operations, with around 30 cancellations reported. The volcanic activity continues to be monitored as ash clouds disrupt travel plans.
Dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled after a volcanic eruption near Indonesia’s popular tourist island, leaving holidaymakers stranded and raising concerns over the impact on the country’s vital tourism sector.
Singapore Airlines, Jetstar Airways, AirAsia X, Batik Air, and Wings Air were among the carriers that temporarily halted services due to the volcanic activity.
According to data from Bali’s international airport cited by Reuters, around 30 flights have been cancelled so far.
However, the airport at Denpasar, the main gateway to Bali's tourist hotspot, remained open, and some carriers, including PT Garuda Indonesia, were still checking passengers in.
Reuters reported that, as per the explanation given by the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation, grey volcanic ash of medium intensity was observed moving toward the north.
Tourists left stranded in Indonesia
According to CNN, more than a thousand tourists have been affected, particularly those travelling to Bali and Komodo National Park.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki last erupted in May, when authorities also raised the alert level to the most severe. A previous eruption in March forced airlines to cancel and delay flights into Bali, around 500 miles (800km) away, reported CNN.
In November, the volcano erupted multiple times, claiming the lives of nine people and injuring dozens of others, forcing thousands to flee and flights to be cancelled.
Disruptions due to the eruption
The disruptions started after Tuesday’s eruption of the Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano in the east of Indonesia’s Flores island.
The country's disaster management agency said in a statement that authorities raised the volcano’s disaster alert to the highest level of four after the eruption sent an ash column of over 10 kilometres (6 miles) into the sky, reported Reuters.
Seismic monitoring devices are still detecting tremors indicating ongoing volcanic activity, the disaster management agency told Reuters.
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