IndiGo, Air India cancel Bali flights as volcanic ash clouds disrupt travel

Major Indian airlines, including IndiGo and Air India, have cancelled flights to and from Bali following the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano, which killed nine people and injured dozens others.

Air India announced that it had cancelled flights AI 2145 from Delhi to Bali and AI 2146 for the return leg on November 13 due to "unfavourable weather caused by the recent volcanic eruption".

"All possible efforts are being made to minimize inconvenience caused to our customers, due to this unforeseen situation, including complimentary rescheduling, accommodation in next available flight(s) or full refunds to those who opt for it," it added.

IndiGo also released a similar advisory announcing the cancellation of flights to and from the region "as ash clouds may impact air travel."

The airline provided options for refunds or rebooking on alternate flights.

The eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, located on the remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province, has been ongoing since early November. The volcano, which stands at 1,584 meters, has erupted multiple times, with some ash columns reaching a height of nine kilometers, according to Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.

The volcano’s activity has led Indonesian authorities to expand the danger zone around the crater to nine kilometers as a precaution against falling volcanic materials, including smoldering rocks and ash fragments. These conditions have severely impacted operations at Bali’s main I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, where, in the past four days alone, 84 flights have been disrupted, including those from Australia, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, and India.

As of Wednesday, Korean Air turned back two flights en route to Bali after ash clouds were forecasted to reach the island's airport, affecting 400 passengers. Australian carriers, including Jetstar, Virgin Australia, and Qantas, have similarly delayed or cancelled flights.

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is part of the “Ring of Fire,” a tectonically active zone encircling the Pacific, where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are frequent. The volcano, along with its “sister” peak, Lewotobi Perempuan, is one of Indonesia’s 120 active volcanoes and has erupted several times in recent years.