Flights resume to Bali as ash cloud moves away

Flights have resumed this morning from Australia to Bali as Mount Agung’s ash cloud moves further away to the east away from the holiday island’s airport. On Saturday night (Nov 25) flights to Bali were thrown into chaos after the alert level for Mount Agung was raised to RED by the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. Three Jetstar flights and one Qantas flight between Australian airports and Bali were diverted to other airports.

A Virgin Australia flight from Pt Hedland to Bali also turned back, while another Jetstar flight from Perth, Western Australia, did not depart. Two Indonesia Air Asia flights returned to Bali from Perth, Western Australia without passengers.

Today both Jetstar and Virgin Australia resumed services, although both warn the situation could quickly change. Read Jetstar's advice here: Read Virgin Australia's update here:  Airlines urge all intending passengers to check airline websites. Live stream of the volcano here: 

The Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre said that the volcanic ash cloud was up to 22,000ft. Over the past months, 140,000 people have been evacuated from the region around the volcano when it was on high alert but that number is reduced to about 30,000 after the alert levels were lowered.

Indonesian authorities downgraded their eruption warning for Mt Agung in late October after a decrease in seismic activity. The alert was boosted to the highest threat level in September amid fears an explosive eruption was imminent. Mt Agung’s last major eruption was in 1963 and killed more than 1100 people. That eruption lasted for more than a year.