Bali’s Mount Agung erupts again and… cue the flight cancellations and delays

Mount Agung is at it again, with the volcano’s latest eruption causing thick ash to spread across Indonesia, and forcing airlines to cancel and delay flights in and out of Bali.

According to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management, the latest eruption on Friday night had a maximum amplitude of 30 mm and duration of about four minutes 30 seconds.

The eruption was accompanied by a loud roar that was heard at the observation post, along with flying stones and lava as far as three kilometres in all directions.

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A number of flights to and from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport were cancelled and delayed as a result, with Jetstar and Virgin Australia among the affected airlines.

Travel Weekly understands two Jetstar flights which were on the way to Bali from Melbourne and Cairns had to return and were subsequent cancellations. The airline also suffered additional cancellations for a Melbourne flight and Darwin flight to Bali.

Furthermore, a Jetstar flight from Adelaide to Bali was diverted to Darwin before continuing to its final destination, while three of the airline’s flights to/from Bali were delayed.

A Virgin spokesperson told Travel Weekly that four of its flights were delayed out of Denpasar, but there was no impact on the airline’s operations in Australia over the weekend.

The status of Mount Agung remains alert level three, with the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management warning locals, climbers and tourists against carrying out activities within a radius of four kilometres from the peak.

It was only last month that Mount Agung caused a similar amount of chaos for airlines, and the latest eruption is the third one recorded this month alone, according to the disaster management board.