Australian airlines cancel flights again after latest volcanic eruption
Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas have had to alter their services to and from the popular holiday destination for the second time in a month after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki's eruption in June also caused cancellations and delays.
On Monday, Indonesia's Geology Agency published a statement saying it had recorded the volcano unleashing searing gas clouds during the eruption. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Virgin Australia cancelled three return services and would monitor ash cloud movement over the next day to determine whether flights on Tuesday would operate, though some delays were possible.
A spokesperson for the airline said guests were encouraged to closely monitor their flight statuses for cancellations.
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'Some Virgin Australia Bali services have been cancelled following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi earlier today. 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.'
Jetstar also confirmed it has cancelled a number of flights due to the volcanic ash. Two Qantas services were also delayed between Melbourne, Sydney and Bali.
A spokesperson for the Qantas group said 'our meteorologists and operations teams are closely monitoring the movement of volcanic ash from the latest eruption of Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia. Safety is always our top priority and we will contact customers directly if their flight is disrupted.'
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Residents are wearing masks to protect themselves from thick volcanic ash that has blanketed roads and green rice fields in Indonesia as rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupts for a second straight day. The eruption at dawn on Tuesday sent lava and clouds of ash up to 4km high. That followed an eruption on Monday that sent a column of volcanic materials up to 18km into the sky and an evening burst that spewed lava and send volcanic ash as high as 13km into the air. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed terrified residents ran for their lives under the rain of ash and gravel and motorists struggled to drive motorbikes and cars in the reduced visibility as the ash clouds from Monday's eruption expanded into a mushroom shape. 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The eruption of Lewotobi Laki Laki followed its eruption in November 2024 that killed nine people and injured dozens. Muhari said two airports in the cities of Maumere and Larantuka in East Nusa Tenggara province remained closed on Tuesday. Dozens of flights to and from the Ngurah Rai international airport on the resort island of Bali were delayed or cancelled since Monday's eruption, including from Australian carriers Virgin Australia and Jetstar, but airport spokesperson Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said the airport was running normally as monitoring showed the volcanic ash had not affected Bali's airspace. Indonesia has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the "Ring of Fire", a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. Residents are wearing masks to protect themselves from thick volcanic ash that has blanketed roads and green rice fields in Indonesia as rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupts for a second straight day. The eruption at dawn on Tuesday sent lava and clouds of ash up to 4km high. That followed an eruption on Monday that sent a column of volcanic materials up to 18km into the sky and an evening burst that spewed lava and send volcanic ash as high as 13km into the air. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed terrified residents ran for their lives under the rain of ash and gravel and motorists struggled to drive motorbikes and cars in the reduced visibility as the ash clouds from Monday's eruption expanded into a mushroom shape. No casualties have been reported from the latest eruptions of the volcano that has been at the highest alert level since June 18 when its no-go zone was expanded to a 7km radius, said Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson. "People around the volcano have increasingly understood how to minimise the impact of disaster risks as eruptions became more frequent since the end of 2023," Muhari said in a statement. The eruptions of the volcano on Flores Island affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages in East Flores and Sikka districts, according to the local disaster management agency. Thick volcanic ash and rocks were reported to have fallen in villages of Nawakote, Klantanio, Hokeng Jaya, Boru, Pululera and Wulanggitang, where roads and green rice fields were transformed into grey thick mud and rocks. Authorities distributed 50,000 masks and urged residents to limit outdoor activities to protect themselves from volcanic materials. The eruption of Lewotobi Laki Laki followed its eruption in November 2024 that killed nine people and injured dozens. Muhari said two airports in the cities of Maumere and Larantuka in East Nusa Tenggara province remained closed on Tuesday. Dozens of flights to and from the Ngurah Rai international airport on the resort island of Bali were delayed or cancelled since Monday's eruption, including from Australian carriers Virgin Australia and Jetstar, but airport spokesperson Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said the airport was running normally as monitoring showed the volcanic ash had not affected Bali's airspace. Indonesia has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the "Ring of Fire", a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. Residents are wearing masks to protect themselves from thick volcanic ash that has blanketed roads and green rice fields in Indonesia as rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupts for a second straight day. The eruption at dawn on Tuesday sent lava and clouds of ash up to 4km high. That followed an eruption on Monday that sent a column of volcanic materials up to 18km into the sky and an evening burst that spewed lava and send volcanic ash as high as 13km into the air. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed terrified residents ran for their lives under the rain of ash and gravel and motorists struggled to drive motorbikes and cars in the reduced visibility as the ash clouds from Monday's eruption expanded into a mushroom shape. No casualties have been reported from the latest eruptions of the volcano that has been at the highest alert level since June 18 when its no-go zone was expanded to a 7km radius, said Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson. "People around the volcano have increasingly understood how to minimise the impact of disaster risks as eruptions became more frequent since the end of 2023," Muhari said in a statement. The eruptions of the volcano on Flores Island affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages in East Flores and Sikka districts, according to the local disaster management agency. Thick volcanic ash and rocks were reported to have fallen in villages of Nawakote, Klantanio, Hokeng Jaya, Boru, Pululera and Wulanggitang, where roads and green rice fields were transformed into grey thick mud and rocks. Authorities distributed 50,000 masks and urged residents to limit outdoor activities to protect themselves from volcanic materials. The eruption of Lewotobi Laki Laki followed its eruption in November 2024 that killed nine people and injured dozens. Muhari said two airports in the cities of Maumere and Larantuka in East Nusa Tenggara province remained closed on Tuesday. Dozens of flights to and from the Ngurah Rai international airport on the resort island of Bali were delayed or cancelled since Monday's eruption, including from Australian carriers Virgin Australia and Jetstar, but airport spokesperson Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said the airport was running normally as monitoring showed the volcanic ash had not affected Bali's airspace. Indonesia has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the "Ring of Fire", a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. Residents are wearing masks to protect themselves from thick volcanic ash that has blanketed roads and green rice fields in Indonesia as rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupts for a second straight day. The eruption at dawn on Tuesday sent lava and clouds of ash up to 4km high. That followed an eruption on Monday that sent a column of volcanic materials up to 18km into the sky and an evening burst that spewed lava and send volcanic ash as high as 13km into the air. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed terrified residents ran for their lives under the rain of ash and gravel and motorists struggled to drive motorbikes and cars in the reduced visibility as the ash clouds from Monday's eruption expanded into a mushroom shape. No casualties have been reported from the latest eruptions of the volcano that has been at the highest alert level since June 18 when its no-go zone was expanded to a 7km radius, said Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson. "People around the volcano have increasingly understood how to minimise the impact of disaster risks as eruptions became more frequent since the end of 2023," Muhari said in a statement. The eruptions of the volcano on Flores Island affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages in East Flores and Sikka districts, according to the local disaster management agency. Thick volcanic ash and rocks were reported to have fallen in villages of Nawakote, Klantanio, Hokeng Jaya, Boru, Pululera and Wulanggitang, where roads and green rice fields were transformed into grey thick mud and rocks. Authorities distributed 50,000 masks and urged residents to limit outdoor activities to protect themselves from volcanic materials. The eruption of Lewotobi Laki Laki followed its eruption in November 2024 that killed nine people and injured dozens. Muhari said two airports in the cities of Maumere and Larantuka in East Nusa Tenggara province remained closed on Tuesday. Dozens of flights to and from the Ngurah Rai international airport on the resort island of Bali were delayed or cancelled since Monday's eruption, including from Australian carriers Virgin Australia and Jetstar, but airport spokesperson Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said the airport was running normally as monitoring showed the volcanic ash had not affected Bali's airspace. Indonesia has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the "Ring of Fire", a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
