Volcanic ash shuts four Indonesian airports

Thai Airways global (THAI) has resumed flights to Bali after Denpasar airport reopened yesterday following its closure due to volcanic ash from Mount Raung in East Java.

No flights were going in or out of Bali’s Denpasar airport on Friday as nearby Mount Raung, at the eastern end of the island of Java, continued to belch ash and gas into the atmosphere, officials said.

Alice Budisatrijo reports from Jakarta.

“Ash can clog engines and harm other parts of the aircraft”, saidJulius Adravida Barata, transport ministry spokesman.

Authorities closed the airports late Thursday as Mount Raung on Java spewed thick clouds of ash into the sky. Singapore Airlines cancelled 10 flights to and from Bali, while four SIA flights today will be delayed.

Virgin Australia said it was able to resume operations on Saturday evening, after earlier cancelling all flights from Bali.

“At this stage it’s not right over Denpasar Airport, but it is getting quite close and we’ve been keeping in close liaison with the airlines that are flying within that region”.

After both airlines said they would schedule extra flights to get stranded holiday-makers home, Virgin Australia issued a statement at 9am AEST on Sunday saying its flights would once again cease.

“We have travel insurance but need to pay up front now and there is no guarantee our claim will be accepted when we return to Auckland”.

These closures are happening at the height of the tourist season in Bali, the only mostly Hindu island in this mostly Muslim country, and a paradise destination attracting millions of foreign tourists every year.

Lizzy Polak, who has been stranded in Bali since Wednesday, told the ABC her airline had not been of help.

Indonesian flag carrier Garuda earlier announced it would be cancelling 31 flights Saturday, with AirAsia also confirming almost a dozen flights would be cancelled or rescheduled.

Volcanic ash can have unsafe consequences to planes.

Some stranded passengers from Bali, a favourite holiday spot in Indonesia, will be cleared as the same wind condition is expected to continue for another three days according to the met forecast.

Indonesia has about 130 active volcanos and sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismic belt that makes it prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.