Travellers from Australia to Bali are facing ongoing delays due to a volcanic eruption near the popular Indonesian destination, causing a hazardous ash cloud to form.
Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia have all had to cancel numerous flights out of concern for passenger safety, resulting in many passengers being stranded.
Jetstar has taken the additional precaution of grounding all flights to and from Denpasar Airport until at least noon (AEDT) on Thursday.
Virgin Australia and Qantas are closely monitoring the situation and adjusting their flight schedules accordingly.
The emergency situation arose on Sunday when Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano erupted, sending a massive ash column soaring nine kilometers into the sky.
This incident, which occurred in East Nusa Tenggara province approximately 500km from Bali, tragically claimed nine lives and led to the evacuation of over 15,000 individuals residing near the volcano.
“Due to the volcanic ash from Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia, it is currently unsafe to operate flights to and from Bali,” stated Jetstar on Wednesday.
Jetstar further added, “All Jetstar flights to and from Denpasar Airport in Bali have been cancelled until at least 12 noon AEDT on Thursday, 14th November.”
The company expressed empathy for the affected customers, acknowledging the challenging circumstances they are facing.
On Tuesday, both Qantas and Virgin Australia had to cancel a combined total of up to 10 flights due to the volcanic eruption, as indicated on their respective websites.
