Photo: Pusdatinkon BNPB

Mount Lewotobi Eruption Disrupts Bali Flights

Yulian Ardiansyah Our Bureau - : Nov 13, 2024 - : 7:30 pm

The eruption of Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara has led to the cancellation of flights, affecting both domestic and international routes at Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, the airport’s General Manager, confirmed that...

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Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, the airport’s General Manager, confirmed that flight cancellations began on Tuesday, 12 November 2024, following renewed volcanic activity. Initially, only domestic routes were affected; however, cancellations have since extended to international flights. "On Tuesday, 12 domestic flights were affected, with 7 departures and 5 arrivals. Internationally, 22 flights were impacted, comprising 12 departures and 10 arrivals," Syaugi stated in Denpasar, as quoted by Indonesian media tempo.co on Wednesday, 13th November.

International routes affected include flights to and from Australian cities, such as Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Brisbane, as well as Incheon, South Korea. Airlines like Jetstar Airways and Qantas Airways are among those impacted by these disruptions. Jetstar announced that all flights to and from Bali would be halted until noon on Thursday, stating, "Due to volcanic ash caused by the Mount Lewotobi eruption in Indonesia, it is currently not safe to operate flights to and from Bali." Qantas also confirmed that "a number of flights to and from Denpasar Airport in Bali have been disrupted" due to volcanic ash from Mount Lewotobi.

To assist passengers affected by the cancellations, airlines are providing options for refunds, rescheduling, or rerouting. Help desks have been set up in both international and domestic terminals to offer support.

Despite the disruptions, Syaugi clarified that volcanic ash has not affected the airspace immediately around Ngurah Rai Airport. Aerodrome tests have confirmed its absence in the vicinity, supported by predictions from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), as well as reports from Perum LPPNPI and pilots.

Domestic flights to East Nusa Tenggara have been disrupted since Monday, 4 November 2024. Between 8 and 11 November, a total of 46 flights were impacted, with 30 departures and 16 arrivals affected. Ngurah Rai Airport serves five airports in East Nusa Tenggara, including Kupang, Labuan Bajo, Tambolaka, Waingapu, and Ende, with airlines such as Indonesia AirAsia, Citilink Indonesia, Garuda Indonesia, Batik Air, Wings Air, and Nam Air operating on these routes.

In response to the volcanic activity, Ngurah Rai Airport has implemented its Airport Disaster Management Plan (ADMP), which provides emergency procedures for natural events. "A joint post at the Airport Operation Control Center (AOCC) has also been activated to monitor the situation in coordination with relevant stakeholders," Syaugi added.

Flight suspensions have been implemented by several airlines due to safety concerns. Both Jetstar and Qantas stopped flights to Bali on Wednesday, while Flightradar24 reported that flights operated by AirAsia and Virgin were also canceled.

Lewotobi / Volcano-eruption / Indonesia /

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