Watch: Bali Flights Suspended As Mount Lewotobi Eruption Sends Ash Clouds 10km Into Sky, Thousands Stranded

After Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Flores Island in Indonesia , several airlines have halted their flights to and from Australia to Indonesia’s Bali. It is done due to ash clouds stretching up to 10 kilometers into the sky. Thousands of travelers have been left stranded all over the world.

Flights at Denpasar Airport in Bali have been suspended by Australia’s Jetstar, Virgin Australia, and Qantas. “Due to the spewing of volcanic ash from Mount Lewotobi eruption in Indonesia, currently, it is not safe to operate flights to and from Bali.” Other agencies involved are Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, IndiGo in India, and Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong. Most airlines keep watching the activity of the volcano and schedule flights accordingly.

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, located approximately 500 kilometers (311 miles) east of Bali, has been erupting since early November. The recent eruptions have tragically resulted in nine fatalities, 31 injuries, and the evacuation of over 11,000 residents, according to Indonesian authorities. On Friday, volcanic plumes from the mountain reached their peak, sending columns of ash 10 kilometers into the atmosphere.

Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, general manager of Bali’s international airport, noted that 26 domestic and 64 international flights were affected. Flights from major hubs, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar, Malaysia, India, China, and South Korea, faced either delays or cancellations.

Bali, a popular tourist destination heavily reliant on international visitors, felt the immediate impact as stranded passengers crowded the airport.  Local officials implored calm despite the inconvenience, according to Bali’s tourism head, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, who said “Bali’s tourism activity is still running normally” since the volcano is far from the island.

Volcanic ash clouds are one of the largest threats to the safety of aviation, not only because its tiny ash particles could easily make jet engines stall or obscure aircraft windshields. As such, airlines have come to regard the airline as the best way to protect passengers they were serving. They simply and readily rescheduled travel, rerouted passengers, and issued refunds. Meanwhile, airline schedules remain flexible, changing in conformity with the eruption of the volcano.

Situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” Indonesia is no stranger to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. It is, in fact, one of the most disaster prone areas in the world. Indeed, neighboring island Lombok had devastating earthquakes in 2018, which killed more than 500 people and badly affected the tourism industry in the region.

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