Travellers have been left stranded at airports in Australia and Indonesia following a powerful volcanic eruption near Bali, which led to the cancellation of over a dozen flights.
The eruption has caused large ash clouds that are severely affecting visibility, disrupting flight paths, and making air travel unsafe.
Qantas, Jetstar, AirAsia, and Virgin have all suspended flights to Indonesia due to the ongoing volcanic eruption. At Melbourne Airport, four flights to Denpasar were cancelled since Tuesday afternoon, while five flights from Sydney have also been called off, with several others experiencing delays.
Arrivals from Indonesia have also been disrupted, with three flights to Melbourne and three flights to Sydney cancelled.
Just a day ago, Mark Wilson was en route to Bali to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary. However, his flight was delayed for about an hour on Tuesday evening before passengers were informed that the flight to Denpasar had been cancelled.
Wilson, who is traveling from Gippsland, acknowledged that the airlines have done their best given the challenging circumstances. Despite the setbacks, he remains hopeful about making the trip.
"I’d like to think we’ll still make it over there... but I’ve got a bad feeling," he said.
In Bali, holiday-maker Dylan Glassie was anxiously awaiting news on how he could make it back to Brisbane in time for his mother's 50th birthday party in Sydney. Dylan and his partner Gabriella had been booked on a Jetstar flight to Brisbane on Wednesday morning local time, but that flight was cancelled. While he was offered a refund, the airline insisted he prove he had booked an alternative flight with another carrier.
"If we have to stay another night, we’ll have to cover the cost ourselves," Dylan said, expressing his frustration. "It seems like it’s always with Australian flights, probably Jetstar. But, I understand these things are out of anyone's control, so we just have to deal with it."
At Denpasar Airport, Dylan waited anxiously, knowing time was running out to get home for the family celebration.
Meanwhile, friends Ella Cockfield and Erica James, who had traveled from Geelong to Melbourne Airport excited for their holiday, found their flight to Denpasar also cancelled. With no clear way forward, the two friends began searching for new destinations, considering Malaysia or Singapore as alternatives.
"I just want to go anywhere now—make the best of a bad situation," Cockfield said, resigned to the unforeseen disruptions.
The travel chaos started after Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted on Sunday, spewing ash nine kilometers into the sky. The volcanic ash cloud has severely impacted air travel in the region, leading to numerous flight cancellations.
Jetstar confirmed that flights to and from Denpasar were grounded due to volcanic ash, saying it was "not safe to operate" on routes to Bali. The airline had cancelled its flights until 2 p.m. on Wednesday and stated it was closely monitoring the situation. Virgin and Qantas also planned to resume flights later that afternoon, contingent on the weather conditions improving.
Perth Airport reported that eight flights were cancelled on Wednesday, with more cancellations expected. However, Indonesian carrier Citilink was able to continue operating flights as they followed a different flight path.
Virgin Australia stated that they were working to get passengers to their destinations as soon as possible and that passengers affected by the volcanic disruption were entitled to a new flight, full credit, or a refund.
Passengers in Australia have been left in limbo, with some stranded without accommodation as they search for alternatives. "It’s pretty tricky," one passenger at Sydney Airport told Nine News. "We tried to escalate it looking for a hotel room, but they won’t put us up... a lot of people have been really impacted by this."
Meanwhile, international carriers Garuda Indonesia and Batik Air Malaysia had operated flights from Denpasar to Australia as recently as Wednesday morning.
The volcanic activity in Indonesia is currently rated "above normal," with Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki under a level-four alert—the highest warning level. Indonesia, home to 120 active volcanoes, is no stranger to seismic activity, including earthquakes and landslides.
In early November, the same volcano erupted, killing nine people and forcing the evacuation of over 15,000 people from the surrounding area.
With the school holiday season approaching, thousands of Australian school leavers are expected to travel to Bali next week, further complicating the already tense travel situation.
Reporting by AAP, AP, Zach Hope, and Jessica McSweeney.