I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, have confirmed that normal flight scheduling has been resumed after a week of travel chaos in Bali.
The erupting Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in the Flores Islands meant that over 20% of Bali’s normal flight scheduling was canceled this week, leaving travelers stranded in both Bali and Labuan Bajo, with dozens of international inbound flights canceled too.
In an Instagram post, Bali Airport confirmed, “Due to the current conditions regarding the spread of volcanic ash from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, it is informed that all flights to and from Bali have returned to normal.”
Speaking to reporters on Friday, 15th November, the General Manager of Bali Airport, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, explained, “On both days, the route to Australia was the most canceled, which was 61 flights, with 47 flights canceled on Wednesday and 14 (international) flights on Thursday.”
He added, “Airport operations that are now gradually normal are also seen from the increase in the number of domestic and international passengers served, which is 35,865 passengers on Wednesday and 54,320 on Thursday. The number of aircraft movements also showed the same thing, with 206 movements on Wednesday and 326 on Thursday.”
He concluded, “For today’s operational plan based on the data obtained at 03.00 WITA, there will be 399 movements of aircraft coming and departing, where based on the data, there is no flight cancellation or flight cancellation due to the impact of the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki.”
While hundreds of tourists felt they were left stranded by flight cancellations, others were able to simply extend their hotel stays and wait for the go-ahead to travel again. Tourists in the Flores Islands, in Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park, specifically, were also hugely affected by the flight cancellations.
Labuan Bajo is the gateway to the world-famous Komodo National Park and has been promoted to international tourists as one of Indonesia’s five super-priority destinations.
There are now direct flights between Labuan Bajo and Bali multiple times a week, but with the volcanic dust cloud from Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki impacting the air space over Labuan Bajo, stranded tourists in need of returning to Bali to catch connecting international flights had to see assistance from the Ministry of Tourism and local boat transportation providers.
In the early hours of Friday morning, the ship Pelni Binaiya docked into Benoa Harbour carrying 1,012 passengers who had been stranded in Labuan Bajo; 410 passengers were international visitors to Indonesia.
One of the passengers, Nana Roland, spoke to reporters shortly after arriving in Benoa and explained: “At first I wanted to go to Bali by air, but Komodo Airport was closed due to the impact of the eruption.”
He added, “To get a ticket, you have to queue for an hour and a half because, at the time, there were many foreigners and other passengers hunting for boat tickets.”
For tourists impacted by flight cancellations in Bali, there is a dedicated help desk on level 2 of the international terminal. Those impacted by ongoing travel disruptions in Labuan Bajo and the Flores Islands should seek support locally.
In a statement, Wonderful Indonesia, the National Tourism Board Wonderful Indonesia explains, “The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority (BPOLBF) have set up the Tourism Information Center as a crisis hub for tourists affected by the Mount Lewotobi eruption.”
“Contact them via WhatsApp (08.30 – 16.40 WITA) or visit the BPOLBF Office in Labuan Bajo for 24-hour assistance.” The WhatsApp number is +62 811-3879-4555.
In light of the recent volcanic eruptions, tourists are urged to ensure that they have comprehensive travel insurance before traveling to Indonesia.
The travel insurance policy should cover not only all eventualities in terms of medical emergencies but also natural disasters.
Indonesia sits within the Pacific Ring of Fire and is home to over 60 active volcanos. Bali is susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and other unpredictable natural disasters at any time.
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