The eruption occurred on Tuesday on the eastern island of Flores, where the 1,584-metre (5,197-foot) volcano forced authorities to raise its alert status to the highest level on Indonesia’s four-tier scale.
“Due to volcano activity of Lewatobi Laki-Laki in East Nusa Tenggara, several flights at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport are cancelled,” airport operator Angkasa Pura Indonesia told AFP in a statement.
International carriers were among those affected. Jetstar and Virgin Australia cancelled services to several Australian cities. Bali’s international airport website also showed cancellations from Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore’s Tigerair and China’s Juneyao Airlines, all “due to volcano”.
Jetstar, in a statement posted on its website Wednesday, said flights to and from Bali had been cancelled but some afternoon departures were delayed to later in the evening as the ash cloud was expected to clear.
“Forecasts show the ash cloud is expected to clear by later tonight. As a result, this afternoon’s flights will be delayed to operate later this evening,” the airline said.Several domestic flights operated by AirAsia, particularly to Labuan Bajo on Flores island—a well-known tourist destination—were also cancelled.Despite the cancellations, operations continued at Bali’s main airport. A customer service agent at the aviation hub told AFP, “It depends on the route and also the airline,” and added that the airport was still functioning normally. The agent declined to provide her name.
Late Tuesday, volcanic ash began falling on villages surrounding the volcano and prompted the evacuation of at least one settlement, Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency said. It reported that tremors continued to be detected, suggesting sustained volcanic activity.
The country’s geology agency advised both residents and tourists to avoid activities within a seven-kilometre radius of the volcano’s crater. It also warned of the risk of lahar floods — fast-moving flows of volcanic mud and debris — particularly if heavy rainfall hits areas near rivers.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The same volcano erupted multiple times in November, killing nine people, cancelling several international flights to Bali, and forcing mass evacuations.
Lewotobi Laki-Laki, whose name means “man” in Indonesian, is paired with a less active twin volcano named after the Indonesian word for “woman”.
Indonesia lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, making the archipelago highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
(with AFP inputs)
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