Normal flight services have resumed at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport after six flights were delayed and seven more flights were canceled on Friday, 21st March 2025, due to the eruptions of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on the island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara.
By 3 pm, all regular flight scheduling had been resumed at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport after volcanic ash from Mount Laki-Laki had impacted flight paths between Denpasar and Australia. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki has been especially active over the last 6-months.
Late Thursday night, the volcano spewed clouds of 8,000 into the air, prompting authorities to raise the risk level and expand the danger zone around the crater.
According to Muhammad Wafid, the Head of Indonesia’s Geology Agency, the eruption was recorded at several of the monitoring stations around the island of Flores. The sound of the explosion could be heard in Larantuka and Maumere, cities that are 50 km and 85 km away from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki respectively. Into Friday the volcano was still releasing thick ash clouds into the air.
The General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, has been in contact with the media to issue updates regarding flight delays and cancellations due to the ongoing volcanic activity at Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki.
He told reporters “There was an eruption from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, but the impact was not too big. Cancellations are only for international flights, especially in the Australian area. For domestic flights, everything is still running normally.”
In total seven international flights were canceled on Friday, impacting tourists traveling to Australia. Six of the canceled flights were operated by Jetstar, with two flights to Melbourne a flight to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth all canceled. The seventh flight was an AirAsia service to Kuala Lumpur.
In terms of delays one domestic AirAsia flight to Labuan Bajo was late to take off. Delays impacted five international flights including one service to Singapore from Singapore Airlines, a Thai AirAsia flight to Bangkok, an AirAsia service to Kuala Lumpur, and two Virgin Airways flights to Brisbane and Melbourne.
Shahab confirmed that all passengers impacted by the delays and cancellations have been given support by both I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and their airlines. He confirmed passengers have been provided a number of options, including refunds, rescheduling, and re-routing.
He added “Domestic flights are not significantly affected. We ensure that the homecoming flow remains smooth. However, passengers are advised to continue to monitor information from their respective airlines.”
Shahab told reporters “We continue to monitor the wind direction. If it is not heading to Bali, then there will be no additional cancellations. It is predicted that the situation can return to normal around 3 pm.” Noting “We always prioritize flight safety. Although affected, this situation is not as severe as the previous eruption that affected Lombok to Kupang.”
Although activity at Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki is continuing there are not expected to be any further delays, cancellations, or flight re-routings due to the eruption.
Ngurah Rai Airport has confirmed that it is increasing its coordination efforts with airlines, AirNav Indonesia, and related authorities to monitor the latest conditions of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki’s volcanic activity.
Shahab concluded, “Safety remains our top priority. We are committed to providing updates in real-time and working closely with all relevant parties. We hope the situation stabilizes soon.”
Tourists planning on traveling between Australia and Bali in the coming days should contact their airlines for the latest updates regarding their flights before traveling to the airport.
It is advisable for tourists to double-check their travel insurance policy’s support offering in the event of a natural disaster.
In the event that further eruptions or volcanic activity affect travel in Bali, tourists are advised to check Bali Airport’s Instagram account, check in with updated travel advice from the national tourism board Wonderful Indonesia, and reference guidance published by consulates and embassies.
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