An Air India flight en route to Bali was forced to return to Delhi on Wednesday due to a volcanic eruption near the destination airport in Indonesia, as several other international flights to the region were also affected by the natural event.
“Air India flight AI2145 on June 18 from Delhi to Bali was advised to air return to Delhi due to reports of volcanic eruption near destination airport Bali, in the interest of safety,” the airline said in a statement. The flight landed safely in Delhi, and all passengers were disembarked.
Passengers were provided with hotel accommodation, the airline said, adding that “full refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling has also been offered to the passengers.”
The eruption occurred at Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Nusa Tenggara province, which began spewing volcanic ash as high as 11 km (6.84 miles) on Tuesday. Indonesia's volcanology agency raised the alert level to the highest, and the volcano erupted again on Wednesday morning, sending out a 1 km (0.62 mile) high ash cloud.
Several international flights from India, Singapore, and Australia to Bali were cancelled due to the eruption, as listed on the Bali international airport’s website. Singapore Airlines cancelled four flights between Bali's Denpasar airport and Singapore, while its budget carrier Scoot also cancelled services to Bali and neighbouring Lombok.
Qantas’ low-cost airline JetStar cancelled multiple morning flights from Australia to Bali and warned that afternoon flights may face delays. “Forecasts show the ash cloud is expected to clear by later tonight,” JetStar said in a midday travel bulletin.
In addition to flight disruptions, Indonesia's government closed the Fransiskus Xaverius Seda airport in Maumere from Wednesday until Thursday “to ensure the safety of the passengers,” according to airport operator AirNav in an Instagram post.
Local authorities evacuated dozens of residents from two villages near the volcano. “Streets in the two villages were filled with thick ash, gravel, and sand,” said Avi Hallan, an official at the local disaster mitigation agency, adding that no casualties were reported. The volcano had previously erupted in May.
Indonesia is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity due to tectonic plate boundaries.