Travellers to Bali face days and possibly weeks of uncertainty and disruption to holiday plans after authorities upgraded the aviation alert for Mount Agung’s eruption to it highest - red- level on Saturday, Nov 25th.
Flights to Bali for the upcoming peak holiday period are shrouded in uncertainty with seasonal north-east winds a major threat pushing the ash cloud towards the airport.
While Australia's Jetstar flights resumed Sunday, Nov 26, after a 12-hour halt the unpredictability of Mount Agung’s ongoing eruption and the variable winds were playing havoc with other airline’s flights.
Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre graphic of the ash cloud movement
An Indonesia AirAsia flight to Perth was canceled because of the ash cloud while Virgin Australia scrapped its flights from the Eastern States of Australia to Bali.
Winds at this time year are from the north-east to north-west meaning that the ash cloud could very quickly be blown across the airport and then be clear.
Read Jetstar's rating here
While the winds are currently from the north-west pushing the ash cloud away they are forecast to change to the north-east, which will cause greater disruptions.
Mount Agung eruption at dawn. Credit Håkon Eugen Gustavsen
Complicating matters is the heavy cloud which makes it very difficult to see the ash cloud and the limited range of some of the aircraft that operate the flights.
Read Virgin Australia's rating here
On Saturday evening eight flights from Australia - including four from WA - were canceled or diverted as Mount Agung’s ash cloud spread towards the island’s airport.
The alert level for aviation was raised to RED by the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre on Saturday afternoon where it remains.
One Jetstar flight from Perth did not depart, while a Virgin Australia flight from Pt Hedland to Bali turned back.
Two Indonesia AirAsia flights returned to Bali from Perth, Western Australia without passengers.
Other airlines also canceled flights including Cathay Pacific and KLM.
Airlines urge all intending passengers to check airline websites for the latest information.
The Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre said that the volcanic ash cloud was up to 22,000ft.
Live feed of the volcano
Screen grab of the live feed of the volcano
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.
