A massive cloud of ash which is erupting from Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano in Flores, Indonesia is causing severe flight disruptions between Australia and Bali. Some flights between Singapore and Bali have also been affected.
The volcano, thousands of kilometres from Bali, has been spewing ash since 3 November, causing 10 fatalities and the relocation of thousands of the island’s residents.
Easterly winds have carried the volcanic ash towards Bali and northern Australian, resulting in flight disruptions to Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia services to and from Denpasar.
A check of the Bali airport website on Wednesday afternoon showed outbound flights cancelled or delayed “due to volcano” from several airlines, including AirAsia, Batik Air, Vietjet Air, Malindo Air, Cathay Pacific, and Malaysia Airlines.
Others, including Garuda Indonesia, Qatar Airways, THAI, Singapore Airlines and Emirates were listed as ‘on schedule’ for Wednesday evening departures. These airlines operate on different flight paths to airlines flying south to Australia.
Airlines are adopting a ‘watch and wait’ approach before resuming schedules, which could be days away according to volcano expert, Professor Chris Elders from Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Perth.
He said the Laki-Laki eruption is part of a cycle of increased activity within the volcano, which could cause ongoing disruptions to air travel.
“Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki has been erupting since December 2023, but a cycle of particularly violent eruptions started in early November,” said Prof Elders.
“The fact this volcano is about 800km east of Bali on a completely different island (Flores) gives an idea of the force of the eruption. It is always very difficult to predict how long eruptive cycles such as this will continue and if they will continue with the same level of intensity.
“However, we know volcanoes throughout Indonesia are prone to similar explosive styles of eruption, and impacts on air travel will always be a risk — in addition to the potentially more catastrophic effects on those who live nearby.”