Flight Cancellations at Bali Airport Due to Lewotobi Volcano Eruption
MANGUPURA, NusaBali.com – The eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), on Tuesday (June 17) led to the cancellation of dozens of flights at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Tuban, Kuta District, Badung, Bali, on Wednesday morning (June 18). Several airlines decided to cancel or delay their flights despite the airport remaining operational.
According to Acting General Manager of Ngurah Rai Airport, Wahyudi, preliminary volcanic ash detection tests (paper tests) conducted until 8:00 AM WITA on Wednesday showed no signs of ash in the vicinity of the airport. However, some international airlines still chose to cancel their services as a precautionary measure.
"A total of 12 international and 5 domestic departures were canceled as of 9:30 AM," Wahyudi said. The affected international routes included flights to and from Singapore, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Pudong (Shanghai), Auckland, and Delhi. The domestic cancellations involved flights to and from Labuan Bajo and Semarang.
Inbound flights were also impacted, with 13 international and 2 domestic arrivals canceled. These included routes from major cities such as Melbourne, Brisbane, Singapore, Adelaide, Sydney, Perth, Darwin, Shanghai, Auckland, and Delhi.
The airport has set up helpdesks for affected passengers—located on the second floor of the international terminal and in the domestic departure lobby. Passengers can request refunds, reschedule their flights, or reroute their travel through these service points.
"We’ve also provided drinking water and rest areas for passengers whose flights were affected, and we advise travelers to check their flight status regularly with their respective airlines," Wahyudi added.
Meanwhile, the airport’s Communication and Legal Division Head, Gede Eka Sandi Asmadi, confirmed that the latest paper test at 3:00 PM also showed no volcanic ash presence. The airport’s operational status has been officially confirmed as normal, according to NOTAMN A1704/25.
"Airlines are still providing services to affected passengers, including via email for cancellations and rescheduling. This helps minimize the need for passengers to physically come to the airport," Eka said.
As of 4:00 PM WITA, a total of 87 flights were confirmed affected: 66 international and 21 domestic. The impacted international routes include Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, New Delhi, Darwin, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth, Pudong, Singapore, Sydney, and Ho Chi Minh City. Domestic routes affected include flights to and from Jakarta (Cengkareng), Labuan Bajo, and Tambolaka.
"We continue to actively coordinate with all stakeholders to ensure smooth passenger service and flight operations at Ngurah Rai Airport, and we hope conditions return to normal soon," Eka concluded. *ris
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