On Wednesday, authorities reported that dozens of flights were cancelled and evacuations were ordered following an eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in eastern Indonesia. The volcano spewed a column of ash that reached 10 kilometers into the atmosphere.
The 1,584-meter volcano, located on Flores island, erupted on Tuesday. This prompted officials to elevate the alert level to the highest possible level on a four-tier scale.
The eruption caused significant disruption to air travel. Several flights at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport were cancelled due to the volcanic activity. Airlines such as Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Air India, Tigerair, Juneyao Airlines, and Air New Zealand were among those affected.
Jetstar confirmed flight delays to and from Bali, with the expectation that the ash cloud would dissipate by Wednesday evening. AirAsia also announced cancellations and rescheduling of flights to Bali, Lombok, and Labuan Bajo, and was providing assistance to affected passengers.
A total of 32 domestic and international flights at Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport were cancelled. The airport remained open, but flight operations were subject to route and airline considerations.
In addition to the Bali airport, Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport in Maumere was closed until Thursday morning. Two other local airports on Flores were also temporarily shut down, according to Indonesia’s transport ministry.
5 Comments
Muchacho
It's time for Indonesia to invest in better disaster management techniques instead of waiting for a disaster to occur.
Facilitator
It’s great that local airports are taking necessary precautions during the eruption — safety first!
ytkonos
It's disappointing to see the economic impact of the volcano on local businesses. Families rely on tourism!
lettlelenok
It’s important to remember that the authorities are doing their best to manage the situation effectively.
Katchuka
I'm glad the authorities acted quickly to cancel flights and ensure the safety of everyone involved!