Travel to and from Indonesia’s top tourist destination, Bali, was heavily disrupted on Wednesday after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, located on the island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara, erupted sending a massive ash plume 10 kilometers (6 miles) into the sky.
Authorities raised the volcano’s alert status to the highest level on the national four-tier scale following Tuesday’s eruption of the 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) peak.
Airport operator Angkasa Pura Indonesia confirmed that several flights at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport were canceled due to the volcanic activity. According to the airport’s website, 32 flights — both domestic and international—were grounded. Among the affected airlines were Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore’s Tigerair, and China’s Juneyao Airlines, according to several news agencies.
Jetstar stated on its website that it had canceled flights to and from Bali but noted that the ash cloud was expected to clear by Wednesday night, allowing delayed flights to resume later in the evening.
Additionally, several AirAsia flights to Labuan Bajo—a popular tourist hub on Flores—were also canceled.
Despite the disruptions, Bali’s main airport remained operational. A customer service agent told AFP that operations varied depending on the airline and route.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency reported that ashfall affected several villages, prompting the evacuation of at least one community late Tuesday. Ongoing tremors and eruptions were still being detected as of Wednesday morning.
According to agency spokesman Abdul Muhari, 450 families from affected areas have been relocated to temporary shelters equipped with clean water and electricity.
The geological agency has warned residents and tourists to avoid a seven-kilometer radius around the volcano’s crater. Authorities also cautioned about the risk of lahar floods—dangerous mudflows composed of volcanic debris—especially in the event of heavy rainfall.
No casualties or property damage have been reported from this latest eruption.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki last erupted in November, killing nine people, disrupting numerous international flights, and forcing the evacuation of thousands.
