Tourists traveling to and from Bali by flight in the coming days are advised to keep a close eye on their flight scheduling.
While some flight services heading west are unaffected by the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki eruptions in the Flores, dozens of flights on Thursday, 14th November, remain canceled or delayed due to the volcano ash cloud. Travel disruptions will continue as the active volcano billows dust clouds into the atmosphere.
While many flights between Bali and Australia have resumed following dozens of cancellations on Wednesday 14th, November, flight cancellations for Thursday 14th, November are still in place in and out of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. These include both domestic and international flights.
Despite most flight services between Australia and Bali being resumed, last-minute changes could still be on the cards.
Officials are issuing updates on the Bali Airport official Instagram account, and travelers should also be keeping a close eye on updates shared by their airlines.
As of 2 pm local time on Thursday, 14th November, 22 international flights were canceled, with departing flights to Melbourne, Pudong, Xiamen, Doha, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Incheon, and Bangalore all canceled for the remainder of Thursday.
Further updates on cancellations for Friday, 15th November, are to be expected in the very early hours of Friday morning, though it is more likely these cancellations will be over the South Korean and Southeast Asia airspace rather than Australia unless there is further volcanic activity.
Inbound flight cancellations on Thursday afternoon and evening include Hong Kong, Pudong, Doha, Ho Chi Minh, and Bangalore. Moving into the weekend, there are hopes that normal travel services will resume completely, though those affected by Wednesday’s cancellations may still be working to find a flight out of Bali Province.
Domestic travel between Labuan Bajo, Cengkareng, and Ujung Pandang is supposed to be affected further in the days to come.
A dedicated help desk has been set up on level two of the international departures building. I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport will continue to operate normally and will remain open.
In a statement, the airport shared, “We will continue providing the latest information on airport operations. To all airport users who need current information related to our services, please contact 172 (call) or 0811984138 (WhatsApp).”
The statement concludes, “We advise all passengers to contact the related airline for updates on departures and arrivals.”
Those traveling between Bali and South Korea are advised to contact Korean Air and Jeju Air directly for the latest travel information.
Following flight cancellations and the recalling of flight KE633, Korean Air issued a statement to explain, ”We decided to return to Incheon because of the forecast of the impact on Ngurah Rai Bali International Airport due to volcanic ash that erupted from a volcano in Indonesia.”
Travel chaos fell over Bali Airport on Wednesday, 13th November, when 174 flights, both domestic and international, were canceled due to the volcano eruption.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, General Manager of Ngurah Rai Airport, explained that the cancellations were the equivalent of 20% of the total 400 daily flights.
He explained, ”The majority of this decision came from foreign airlines, especially airlines from Australia, which prioritize safety in this condition.”
At present, the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in the Flores, around 800km from Bali, does not pose any public health risks to those in Bali Province.
Shahab told reporters, “These [findings] are also reinforced with information and prediction of the direction of volcanic ash by BMKG and airspace observation based on the monitoring of Perum LPPNPI and pilot report.”
Tourists traveling to Bali or any destination in Indonesia in the coming weeks should double-check their travel insurance policy regarding natural disasters, specifically volcanic eruptions, to check what coverage is and isn’t provided in the event of flight cancellations.
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Paul
Friday 15th of November 2024
At least in Europe if you flights ar canceled the airline is obliged to get a hotel and put up up until it starts up again. Unlike the chaotic scramble in Asia
Randy
Friday 15th of November 2024
From a reliable source in Bali that it was heavy downpour with thunder and lightning Thursday night, that may well bring down the dust particles a bit from the lingering ash clouds. There were flights that resumed again downward to Australia and flights toward West of Bali as of yesterday, Thursday.