Hundreds of travellers have been impacted by the cancellation of several flights between Australia and Bali due to the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki.
It is the second time in less than three weeks that ash from the volcano on the island of Flores has affected flights, after numerous Australia-Denpasar services were postponed or cancelled in mid-June.
On its Smartraveller website, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) stated that some flights between Australia and Bali had been “cancelled or postponed due to volcanic ash from Mt Lewotobi Laki-Laki”.
“If your flight is affected, contact your airline and insurance provider for alternative travel and accommodation arrangements,” it stated.
Virgin Australia confirmed that three return services were cancelled due to the eruption.
“Some Virgin Australia Bali services have been cancelled following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi earlier today,” a Virgin spokesperson said.
“The safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority and our team of expert meteorologists are closely monitoring the situation and ash cloud activity.
“We regret the impact of this on guests’ travel plans and encourage guests travelling to or from Bali to closely monitor their flight status via the Virgin Australia website or app.”
The carrier said that it is yet to determine whether Tuesday’s scheduled flights are safe to operate, but that delays are possible.
It added that passengers would be reaccommodated on flights as soon as it is safe to do so.
“We apologise for the disruption and thank guests for their understanding and patience,” the airline said.
“Virgin Australia’s Guest Compensation Policy sets out what customers are entitled to when their flights are disrupted, including other flight options, a travel credit, or a refund for the value of the booking.”
Meanwhile, Jetstar said that “several flights between Bali and Australia have been cancelled this evening”.
“Impacted customers have been notified directly and provided a range of options,” the low-cost carrier stated on its website.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely and will contact customers directly if there are any further changes to our schedule.
“We recommend customers also check their flight status on jetstar.com before coming to the airport.
“Safety is always our number one priority, and we thank our customers for their patience and understanding.”
Qantas told Karryon that the volcano had had a “minimal impact” on flights, with only two services delayed – flights QF43 from Sydney and QF45 from Melbourne to Bali, departing at 4:20pm (AEST).
DFAT warns that “many of Indonesia’s volcanoes are active and can erupt without warning”.
“Adhere to exclusion zones around volcanoes, which can change at short notice, and follow the advice of local authorities.”
According to Indonesia’s MAGMA agency, Monday’s eruption sent ash and debris 18km into the sky, prompting a top-level emergency alert on Flores Island, the ABC reported.
Muhammad Wafid, head of an Indonesian geology agency, urged people to stay at least 6 kilometres away from the volcano.
