Several Flights Disrupted at Ngurah Rai Airport Following Volcanic Eruption

General Manager of Ngurah Rai Airport, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, confirmed that as of 09:45 WITA, seven international flights had been canceled. Six of those flights were operated by Jetstar, serving routes to major Australian cities including Melbourne (two flights), Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. One additional canceled flight was operated by AirAsia, with the route to Kuala Lumpur.

“The eruption has indeed occurred, but the impact is mostly felt by flights heading to Australia. The airport itself is still operating normally,” Ahmad Syaugi told NusaBali during an on-site interview at Ngurah Rai Airport.

The flight cancellations applied only to international services, particularly those bound for Australia, while domestic operations continued unaffected. The notification of affected flights was received by airport authorities starting at 08:45 WITA.

In addition to cancellations, several flights experienced delays. One domestic AirAsia flight bound for Labuan Bajo was reported delayed. Meanwhile, five international flights were also delayed: one each to Singapore (Singapore Airlines), Bangkok (Thai AirAsia), and Kuala Lumpur (AirAsia), as well as two Virgin Airways flights to Brisbane and Melbourne.

“In response to this natural event, airlines are offering affected passengers options including refunds, rescheduling, or re-routing,” Syaugi explained.

He added that Ngurah Rai Airport continues to coordinate closely with airlines and other stakeholders to monitor updates on Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki’s activity. Passengers are advised to stay in direct contact with their airlines to get the latest updates regarding flight status and schedule changes.

“We’re monitoring whether the wind direction will carry ash toward Bali. Hopefully, no further cancellations will be necessary,” he added, predicting the impact may persist until around 15:00 WITA, depending on weather conditions.

Ahmad Syaugi emphasized that the current disruption is less severe than previous volcanic incidents. “In the past, the impact reached areas close to Bali like Lombok and Kupang,” he noted.

Given the ongoing situation, travelers are encouraged to check with their airlines or airport information services before heading to the airport. Those with upcoming travel plans should consider adjusting their itineraries and taking advantage of the alternative arrangements offered by the airlines.

“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,” Syaugi concluded. *ris