Multiple major airlines have canceled flights to and from Indonesia’s island of Bali because of safety concerns after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupted this month, sending dangerous ash clouds into the air.
It was not immediately clear how many passengers were affected by the latest canceled flights, although multiple reports state that thousands were left stranded.
Jetstar stated that all flights to and from Denpasar, Bali’s capital city, have been canceled until at least noon on Nov. 14 because of safety issues caused by the ash clouds.
“We understand that this is a difficult situation for impacted customers,” the airline said in a statement. “Safety is always our number one priority and we thank customers for their patience and understanding.”
Jetstar stated that all affected customers will be notified directly and provided with a “range of options.”
In a separate statement, Virgin stated that it had made “necessary adjustments to its flight schedule” following the volcano’s eruption, with the airline canceling Australian flights to and from Denpasar, including those from Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, on Nov. 13.
Virgin stated that it is “proactively reaching out” to guests whose flights have been canceled to offer an alternative flight option, communicating with customers booked to travel to and from Bali between Nov. 14 and Nov. 16 and encouraging them to stay updated on the latest flight information.
“We sincerely regret any disruption this may cause and assure our guests that our team is working diligently to rebook all impacted guests to their destinations as safely and promptly as possible,” Virgin stated.
“Safety is always our highest priority, and our meteorology team is closely monitoring the situation.”
9 Dead After Volcanic Eruption
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, located on the remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province—nearly 500 miles from Bali—first erupted on Nov. 3, covering nearby towns and villages in thick volcanic ash.It has since erupted repeatedly, including multiple times on Nov. 12, sending ash clouds as high as 32,808 feet into the air and forcing thousands of people to evacuate while prompting authorities to issue a danger zone of 5.5 miles.
The local government has also declared a state of emergency set to last for nearly two months.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of a pair of stratovolcanoes in the East Flores district of East Nusa Tenggara province, known locally as the husband-and-wife mountains.
It is also just one of the 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago of 280 million people that sits on the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a 25,000-mile area of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.
Previously, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, general manager of Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport, told Reuters that 80 flights in Bali—including from Singapore, Hong Kong, and several Australian cities—had been canceled from Nov. 4 to Nov. 12 because of the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki.
The latest cancellations likely bring that figure to more than 100.
