Flights have been cancelled and journeys severely delayed after an Indonesian volcano near Bali erupted on Monday, sending volcanic ash 11 miles into the air.
Airlines such as Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia have seen their flights in and out of Bali disrupted after gas clouds shot out of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, on Monday morning (7 July).
Cultural hub and popular tourist hotspot, Bali, has suffered the majority of disruptions to its arrivals and departures.
The eruption comes weeks after the same volcano shot hot ash six miles into the air on 18 June, causing flight chaos and evacuations of the nearby villages below.
Mount Lewotobi’s past eruptions have resulted in fatalities, such as in November 2024, when at least nine people were killed and many more injured as ash as high as 2,000m was sent into the air, with lava, gravel and ash scattered up to 7km from its crater.
Where has the volcano erupted?
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, found on the Indonesian island of Flores, erupted at 11.05am local time (3.05am GMT) on Tuesday and sent volcanic materials as high as 18 kilometres (11 miles) into the sky.
Indonesia’s Geology Agency said in a statement it recorded the volcano sending an avalanche of gas clouds down its slopes during the eruption. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The volcano deposited ash on nearby villages below, and authorities have warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods, which is a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials, if it starts to rain heavily.
Will my flight be cancelled?
A customer service agent of airport operator InJourney Airports told AFP that Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport was still operating normally despite the eruption.
Despite the airport remaining open, some flights have been cancelled. The last time the volcano erupted on 18 June, the airport saw a large number of flights cancelled.
Airlines will usually cancel or delay flights if there is volcanic ash within the flight path for the safety of passengers.
Jet aircraft engines, which power the pressurisation system in cabins, can be damaged by ash and can ultimately fail. Ash and debris can also block visibility in the cockpit.
Data from FlightRadar shows arrivals to Bali from Bangkok, Jakarta, and Singapore, to name a few, were diverted to other airports on Sunday evening before the eruption.
After the volcano erupted, other flights landed with severe delays. Some flights from Australian destinations have experienced cancellations throughout the rest of Monday.
Departures from Ngurah Rai International Airport have see a few cancellations, too. This includes flights to various Australian cities later on Monday, while those that have already left have seen some long delays.
Delays are expected to continue. For example, a Qantas flight to Sydney due to fly at 10.10pm on Monday has now been delayed until 12.30pm the following day.
Jetstar, Qantas, Indonesia AirAsia and Virgin Australia are among airlines that have been affected by the eruption in their arrivals and departures from Bali.
“Some Virgin Australia Bali services have been cancelled following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi earlier today,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson told the ABC.
“The safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority and our team of expert meteorologists are closely monitoring the situation and ash cloud activity.
“We regret the impact of this on guests’ travel plans and encourage guests travelling to or from Bali to closely monitor their flight status via the Virgin Australia website or app.”
Qantas also told the outlet: “Safety is always our top priority, and we will contact customers directly if their flight is disrupted.”
Jetstar said: “Due to volcanic ash caused by an eruption of Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia, several flights between Bali and Australia have been cancelled this evening.”
“We continue to monitor the situation closely and will contact customers directly if there are any further changes to our schedule.”
Indonesia’s two other main aviation hubs, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and Kualanamu International Airport near Medan, are located further away from Mount Lewotobi.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?
The majority of flights that are cancelled or delayed are those operating in Southeast Asia and Australia, with regional airlines mostly affected.
As a passenger, you are only covered by UK law if you are departing from an airport in the UK on any airline, arriving at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline, or arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline.
Due to the cancelled flights not falling under these categories, British passengers should contact their airline to find out what rights they have if their flight is disrupted.
Most airlines will rebook you on their first flight to your destination where space is available at no extra cost, and some will cover accommodation, meals and phone call costs while waiting for the flight.
Compensation is not usually available when the cause of cancellation is outside the airline’s control. In this case, the eruption of a volcano, would not have been the airline’s fault.
What is the government’s advice?
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not released any specific travel advice relating to the recent volcanic eruption.
However, it does have some general advice relating to visiting Indonesia’s volcanoes, including Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki.
The FCDO advises against all travel to a number of volcanoes in Indonesia:
- Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province to within 7km of the crater
- Mount Sinabung, Karo Regency, North Sumatra to within 5km of the crater
- Mount Marapi, West Sumatra to within 3km of the crater
- Mount Semeru, Lumajang Regency, East Java to within 5km of the crater and in the south-east of Mount Semura to within 500m from any riverbank of the Besuk Kobokan river for 13km from the crater
- Mount Ruang, Northern Sulawesi to within 7km of the crater
- Mount Ibu, North Maluku Province to within 7km of the crater
Can I cancel my holiday?
As the Foreign Office has not warned against any specific travel to Indonesia relating to Tuesday’s volcanic eruption, there will be no special circumstances in place to be able to cancel a trip for a full refund.
The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider, so it’s best to contact them if you’re looking to postpone.
There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings if you want to cancel, and you will not be able to claim on your travel insurance due to safety concerns unless government advice changes.
If you do have travel insurance, some policies include natural disaster cover for an event that prevents you from reaching your holiday destination. Check your insurance policies and speak to your insurer to see where you stand.
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