Travel chaos in Bali as travellers forced to wait days for flights after volcano erupts
Hundreds of Australian travellers have been left in the lurch after the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki near Bali caused an 18-kilometre volcanic ash column on Monday, prompting the cancellation of flights in and out of the tourist hotspot.
Jetstar, Virgin and AirAsia have cancelled all their flights, with limited flights out of the country still operating through Qantas and Garuda.
Volcanic ash has a significant risk of causing aeroplane engine damage, and has the potential to cause the engine to stall or fail, with the duration of ash's impact dependent on the eruption's size and the prevailing winds.
Frustrated travellers at Denpasar Airport have been forced to find alternative accommodation and are unsure of when they'll be able to return to Australia.
Some travellers have been told it could be days until replacement flights are sent.
'Cancelled for tonight, meant to go to Rockhampton, Australia, but now I've got to wait two days,' one passenger told Sunrise.
'So the next flight is two days' time.'
Other travellers saw the lighter side of being stuck on a holiday island.
'I'm very upset, we didn't realise we would have another day on the beach,' one woman said.
'Very, very sad, yeah, but hopefully we can get home.'
Qantas said it was monitoring the situation closely and that 'safety is always our top priority'.
'We will contact customers directly if their flight is disrupted,' a spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au in a statement.
Some Virgin services have also been cancelled.
Smart traveller is warning passengers of cancelled flights.
'If your flight is affected, contact your airline and insurance provider for alternative travel and accommodation arrangements.'
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, located at the southeastern part of the island of Flores, last erupted on June 17.
The mountain also erupted in November, killing nine people and injuring dozens.
There have been no reported injuries or casualties from Monday's eruption.
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7NEWS
5 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Travel chaos in Bali as travellers forced to wait days for flights after volcano erupts
Some travellers are being warned it could be days until new flights are available after the eruption of a volcano at a holiday island in Indonesia forced the cancellation of dozens of flights. Hundreds of Australian travellers have been left in the lurch after the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki near Bali caused an 18-kilometre volcanic ash column on Monday, prompting the cancellation of flights in and out of the tourist hotspot. Jetstar, Virgin and AirAsia have cancelled all their flights, with limited flights out of the country still operating through Qantas and Garuda. Volcanic ash has a significant risk of causing aeroplane engine damage, and has the potential to cause the engine to stall or fail, with the duration of ash's impact dependent on the eruption's size and the prevailing winds. Frustrated travellers at Denpasar Airport have been forced to find alternative accommodation and are unsure of when they'll be able to return to Australia. Some travellers have been told it could be days until replacement flights are sent. 'Cancelled for tonight, meant to go to Rockhampton, Australia, but now I've got to wait two days,' one passenger told Sunrise. 'So the next flight is two days' time.' Other travellers saw the lighter side of being stuck on a holiday island. 'I'm very upset, we didn't realise we would have another day on the beach,' one woman said. 'Very, very sad, yeah, but hopefully we can get home.' Qantas said it was monitoring the situation closely and that 'safety is always our top priority'. 'We will contact customers directly if their flight is disrupted,' a spokesperson told in a statement. Some Virgin services have also been cancelled. Smart traveller is warning passengers of cancelled flights. 'If your flight is affected, contact your airline and insurance provider for alternative travel and accommodation arrangements.' Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, located at the southeastern part of the island of Flores, last erupted on June 17. The mountain also erupted in November, killing nine people and injuring dozens. There have been no reported injuries or casualties from Monday's eruption.
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
Virgin delays Bali flights amid volcanic eruption
Dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled on Monday after the same rumbling volcano caused travel chaos a few weeks ago. Virgin Australia confirmed some services are still affected. Mt Lewotobi Laki-Laki, on the tourist island of Flores, erupted about 1pm AEST, according to MAGMA Indonesia, an application that monitors geological hazards in the region. 'An eruption of Lewotobi Laki-Laki Volcano occurred … with the observed ash column height reaching approximately 18,000 metres above the summit,' the agency said in a statement. It forced the cancellation of 24 flights at Bali's international airport, general manager Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said, including Australian carriers Virgin and Jetstar. 'Several airlines serving the routes to Labuan Bajo (on Flores), Australia, Singapore, and South Korea have confirmed cancellations and delays,' he said in a statement. Virgin Australia update Virgin Australia cancelled three services on Monday with guests to be placed on new flights when it is safe to do so. Today, two scheduled morning departures out of Brisbane and Melbourne to Denpasar have been delayed to this afternoon as the airline continues to closely monitor ash cloud movement. 'Our team of expert meteorologists is closely monitoring conditions and ash cloud activity following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi yesterday,' a Virgin Australia spokesperson told 'We encourage guests travelling to or from Bali today to closely monitor their flight status via the Virgin Australia website or app. 'The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority. We apologise for the necessary disruption and thank guests for their understanding and patience.' Jetstar and Qantas update Jetstar also cancelled a number of flights on Monday, with affected customers directly notified. Qantas had two delays. understands there are no cancellations so far today to/from Bali for Jetstar or Qantas as both carriers continue to monitor the situation. Customers will be notified directly of any changes to the schedule. 'Our meteorologists and operations teams are closely monitoring the movement of volcanic ash from the latest eruption of Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia,' Qantas Group spokesperson said on Monday. 'Safety is always our top priority, and we will contact customers directly if their flight is disrupted. We thank customers for their patience and understanding.' Mt Lewotobi Laki-Laki MAGMA Indonesia reported the volcanic ash cloud reached nearly 20km in height. 'Ash cloud moving from north, northeast to northwest. Volcanic ash is observed to be Gray to dark. The intensity of volcanic ash is observed to be thick,' MAGMA's warning read on Monday. 'Eruption and ash emission is continuing. Eruption recorded on seismogram with maximum amplitude 47.3mm.' The volcanology agency warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials – if heavy rain occurs, particularly for communities near rivers. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties. The activity level at the volcano was 'very high, marked by explosive eruptions and continuous tremors', geology agency head Muhammad Wafid said in a statement. He also urged residents to stay at least six kilometres away from the volcano and to wear face masks to protect themselves from ash. The aviation disruption comes just weeks after the same volcano caused flight cancellations and delays after it erupted. Ash rained down on several communities around the volcano and forced the evacuation of at least one village. Mt Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times in November, killing nine people and forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali. Laki-Laki, which means man in Indonesian, stands at 1,584 metres and is twinned with the calmer but taller 1,703-metre volcano named Perempuan, after the Indonesian word for woman. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'.
Perth Now
21 hours ago
- Perth Now
Aussies warned as deadly volcano cancels Bali flights
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki has erupted for the second time in a month, causing flight cancellations to Bali. The eruption on Monday saw an 'ash column' plume into the sky reaching 18km above the volcano's already staggering summit of 1584 metres. Smartraveller has warned Australians of flight cancellations and postponements. Indonesia's internal geohazard and volcanology agency have issued its highest-level emergency alert on its popular tourist island, Flores. Jetstar have cancelled several Australian flights, including two from Perth. Perth flights JQ106 and JQ116 to Bali have been cancelled. Melbourne flights JQ33 and JQ35 and Sydney flight JQ37 have also been cancelled. Virgin Australia has cancelled three return services and said they are 'closely monitoring ash cloud movement to determine whether tomorrow's scheduled flights are safe to operate, but delays are possible'. '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.' Local residents have been urged to stay at least 6km away and to wear protective face masks. An 'ash column' spewing from Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano has caused flight cancellations. Credit: AAP Last month, scores of flights were cancelled after the volcano erupted on June 17, 2025. It also erupted several times in November last year, resulting in the death of nine people and causing thousands more to evacuate. The Indonesian volcano sits as part of the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' known for its frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
