Flight operations at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali have returned to normal after being disrupted by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
“Flights operated by several airlines that were previously canceled due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki have gradually resumed,” said Gede Eka Sandi Asmadi, Head of the Communication and Legal Division at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, on Thursday (June 19), as reported by CNN Indonesia.
According to him, as of Wednesday night (June 18), domestic flights to destinations such as Cengkareng, Labuan Bajo, and Semarang have returned to normal. International flights to cities like Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Singapore have also resumed as of early Thursday morning.
Flights that were previously canceled are now being rescheduled or departing on Thursday (June 19). These include Malaysia Airlines to Kuala Lumpur; Virgin Australia to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne; Jetstar to Melbourne, Sydney, and Darwin; Vietnam Airlines to Ho Chi Minh City; Singapore Airlines to Singapore; Juneyao Airlines to Pudong; and Malindo Air to Kuala Lumpur–Denpasar–Perth.
“As of now, all operations are running smoothly and in an orderly manner, both departures and arrivals. We advise all passengers to reconfirm their flight schedules directly with their respective airlines,” Gede added as quoted from Detik.com.
Refund, Reschedule, Rerouting
Earlier, a total of 87 flights at Ngurah Rai Airport were canceled due to volcanic ash from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki. However, a paper test conducted on Wednesday (June 18) at 3:00 PM WITA indicated no volcanic ash detected in the airport area.
This was further confirmed by Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) No. A1704/25, which declared that the airport is operating normally.
The airport has also set up helpdesks to assist affected passengers with refund processing, rescheduling, or re-routing. Complimentary drinking water and rest areas have been made available in the terminal.
Meanwhile, Acting General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Wahyudi, confirmed that a total of 17 departures and 15 arrivals—both domestic and international—were canceled on Wednesday (June 18).
These include flights to and from Singapore, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Pudong, Auckland, and Delhi. Despite the cancellations, Wahyudi emphasized that general flight operations remain unaffected.
“We continue to monitor and coordinate with relevant authorities to provide updates and ensure operations remain stable,” he said.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted again on Tuesday (June 17) at 5:41 PM WITA, spewing ash and gravel that plunged surrounding villages into darkness. A second eruption occurred at 9:33 PM, emitting a 2,000-meter ash column and glowing lava at the crater.
Following these eruptions, the volcano’s alert level was raised from Level III (Alert) to Level IV (Warning). Authorities have prohibited any activity within a 7-kilometer radius of the summit and 8 kilometers toward the southwest and northeast sectors.
Sources: CNN Indonesia, Detik
Feat Image: via AFP//SonnyTumbelaka