Bali flights cancelled as Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki eruption causes holiday chaos

Flights to holiday hotspot Bali are being cancelled for a second day running as a volcanic ash cloud plays havoc with passengers’ travel plans.

Virgin Australia and Jetstar cancelled several flights on Monday after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted, sending plumes of ash 18km into the sky and the chaos is set to continue on Tuesday.

The cancellations have proved a headache for travellers, especially with school holidays across Australia — a popular time for families to visit the holiday isle.

It is understood two scheduled Virgin Australia morning departures out of Brisbane and Melbourne to Denpasar have been delayed to the afternoon.

“Our team of expert meteorologists is closely monitoring conditions and ash cloud activity following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi yesterday,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson said.

“We encourage guests travelling to or from Bali today to closely monitor their flight status via the Virgin Australia website or app.”

By Monday afternoon, at least 24 flights between Bali and Australia, Singapore and South Korea were cancelled and many others delayed, while flights on four domestic routes were cancelled, said Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, spokesperson for Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.

He said the airport was running normally despite the cancellations, as monitoring showed the volcanic ash had not affected Bali’s airspace.

Jetstar cancelled several flights between Bali and Australia on Monday night and told customers with bookings to or from the holiday island who no longer wish to travel they had the option to move their flight up to 14 days later, or cancel their booking and receive a credit voucher.

Jetstar said it expected flights between Australia and Bali to operate as normal on tuesday.

“Volcanic ash from an eruption of Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia is continuing to move west and away from Bali.

“Safety is our top priority, and our meteorologists and operations teams are monitoring the situation closely. If there are any disruptions to our operations today, we will contact customers directly by SMS and email.”

A Qantas spokesperson also said customers would be contacted directly if their flight is disrupted.

Mount Lewotobi, on the island of Flores, erupted about 1pm AEST on Monday, the second time in a month.

It also erupted on June 17, forcing the cancellation of scores of flights.

The volcano has been at the highest alert level since the June eruption, and an exclusion zone had been doubled to a 7km radius as eruptions became more frequent.

Indonesia’s Geology Agency recorded an avalanche of searing gas clouds mixed with rocks and lava travelling up to 5kms down the slopes of the 1584m mountain. Observations from drones showed lava filling the crater, indicating deep movement of magma that set off earthquakes.

The initial column of hot clouds that rose just after 11am local time was the volcano’s highest since the major eruption in November 2024 that killed nine people and injured dozens, said Muhammad Wafid, the Geology Agency chief. It also erupted in March.

“An eruption of that size certainly carries a higher potential for danger, including its impact on aviation,” Mr Wafid told The Associated Press. “We shall reevaluate to enlarge its danger zone that must be cleared of villagers and tourist activities.”

The volcano erupted again just after 7.30pm, spewing lava and sending clouds of ash up to 13kms into the air, according to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.

— with AP