Airlines take off for Bali following volcano emergency
Australia's major airlines are once again taking off for Bali after temporarily pausing flights due to a volcanic eruption.
More than a dozen Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights were cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday due to safety concerns but flights resumed on Thursday as conditions improved.
The emergency started on Sunday when Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano erupted, spewing an ash column 9km high.
Bali travel update following volcanic activity: In good news, this morning conditions have improved allowing us to resume operations between Australia and Denpasar. https://t.co/6OhStTfa4c
— Qantas (@Qantas) November 14, 2024
The event in East Nusa Tenggara province, about 500km from Bali, killed nine people and prompted the evacuation of more than 15,000 people close to the crater.
Each Australian airline said teams had closely monitored conditions before giving pilots the green light to fly into Denpasar from Thursday.
Four Virgin Australia flights were scheduled while Jetstar planned six return flights - four regular services and two ad hoc recovery flights.
Qantas had three flights to Bali, including two delayed flights from Wednesday, with all aircraft due to return to Australia by Friday morning.
"We sincerely regret any disruption these cancellations have caused and assure our guests that our team is working diligently to re-book all impacted guests to their destinations as safely and promptly as possible," Virgin Australia said in a statement.
"Safety is always our highest priority, and our meteorology team has continued to closely monitor the situation."
Qantas Group, owner of both Qantas and Jetstar, plans to put on further recovery flights and urged passengers to check their flight status online before arriving at an airport.
"We appreciate the changing situation is frustrating and we thank customers for their understanding and patience," Qantas Group said in a statement.
Customers affected by cancellations are being contacted directly.
Qantas passengers with flights booked up to November 22 can access free refunds, travel credits or date changes.
"We appreciate that some customers may not wish to travel on flights to and from Bali," the airline said.