More than 20 Bali flights cancelled after Indonesia volcano erupts
Villagers watch the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki as seen from Talibura village in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, on June 17, 2025. (Photo: AFP)
SIKKA, Indonesia: More than 20 flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali were cancelled or delayed and three airports in East Nusa Tenggara province were closed due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, officials said on Wednesday (Jun 18).
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, which is in East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted on Tuesday, spewing ash 11km high, forcing the country's volcanology agency to raise the alert level to the highest.
It erupted again on Wednesday morning, belching a 1km high ash cloud, the agency said in a statement. At least 26 international and domestic flights were cancelled or delayed, Indonesia's Transportation Ministry said in a statement, affecting more than 14,000 passengers.
"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.
The flights cancelled included Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, with Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's Scoot and China's Juneyao Airlines also cancelling flights "due to volcano", Bali's international airport website said.
In response to CNA's queries, Scoot said on Wednesday that it has cancelled flights to and from Bali and Lombok "due to volcanic ash activity" from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki.
The low-cost carrier has since contacted affected customers to inform them of their flight changes.
Customers were also given the option to rebook their flights or receive a full refund should they choose not to continue with their travel with Scoot.
"The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority," it said.
"We will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust our flight schedule as necessary."
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has also cancelled flights to and from Bali on Wednesday.
Affected customers will be informed about their flight cancellations, said SIA in an advisory on its website. They will be reaccommodated on alternative flights or can request a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket.
For bookings via third-party options, customers are advised to contact their travel agent or purchasing airline for assistance, Singapore's national carrier added.
"As the situation remains fluid, other SIA flights between Singapore and Indonesia may be affected."
Qantas' low-cost carrier JetStar cancelled several morning flights to Bali from Australia and expects afternoon flights to be delayed.
"Forecasts show the ash cloud is expected to clear by later tonight," JetStar said in a midday travel bulletin.
A number of flights operated by AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia Indonesia to and from Bali, Lombok and Labuan Bajo were also cancelled or rescheduled, the company said in a statement.
The government closed three airports in East Nusa Tenggara province, including Fransiskus Xaverius Seda in Maumere, from Wednesday until Thursday, as they prioritised the safety of the passengers, said the transportation ministry.
Bali's Ngurah Rai airport said 32 flights in and out of the island had been cancelled on domestic and international routes.
An airport customer service agent told AFP the aviation hub was still operating normally despite the cancelled flights.
"It depends on the route and also the airline," the agent, who declined to give her name, said.
The Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport, a relatively smaller airport in nearby Maumere on Flores island, was closed until Thursday morning, its authorities said on social media.
ONGOING TREMORS
The eruption also forced local authorities to evacuate dozens of residents living in two villages near the volcano, Avi Hallan, an official at the local disaster mitigation agency told Reuters.
"Streets in the two villages were filled with thick ash, gravel, and sand," she said, adding no casualties were reported. The volcano last erupted in May.
Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said in a statement that tremors and eruptions were still being detected on Wednesday morning.
"No less than 450 families from affected villages ... have settled in temporary housing equipped with electricity and clean water facilities," he said.
The geology agency said residents and tourists should avoid carrying out any activities within at least 7km of the volcano's crater.
It warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods - a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials - if heavy rain occurs, particularly for communities near rivers.
There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties.
In November, the volcano erupted multiple times, killing nine people, cancelling scores of international flights to the tourist island of Bali and forcing thousands to evacuate.
Laki-Laki, which means "man" in Indonesian, is twinned with a calmer volcano named after the Indonesian word for "woman".
Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire".
