Air travel has been thrown into chaos across Southeast Asia and Australia after an Indonesian volcano shot hot ash more than six miles into the air, causing dozens of flight cancellations on Wednesday.
Multiple airlines, including Jetstar, AirAsia and Virgin Australia, had cancelled flights after grey ash clouds spewed out of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, on Tuesday evening.
Cultural hub and popular tourist hotspot, Bali, has experienced the majority of disruptions to its arrivals and departures that are flying to or from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and domestic destinations.
Mount Lewotobi’s past eruptions have resulted in fatalities, such as in November 2024, when at least nine people were killed and many more injured as ash as high as 2,000m was sent into the air and scattered lava, gravel and ash up to 7km from its crater.
Where has the volcano erupted?
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, found on the Indonesian island of Flores, erupted at 5.35pm local time on Tuesday and spewed out 10,000m (about 32,800ft) of grey clouds in the air that could be seen from 150km away.
Dozens of residents living in two villages near the volcano were forced to evacuate their houses, officials at the local disaster mitigation agency said.
The villages have been filled with thick ash, gravel and sand, while remaining residents have been warned of heavy rainfall triggering lava flows.
Indonesia’s Geology Agency has expanded the danger zone surrounding the volcano to 8km from the crater.
Will my flight be cancelled?
Bali’s main airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, has reported that a large number of flights have been cancelled due to the volcanic eruption.
Airlines will usually cancel or delay flights if there is volcanic ash within the flight path for the safety of passengers.
Jet aircraft engines, which power the pressurisation system in cabins, can be damaged by ash and can ultimately fail, as well as block the visibility in the cockpit.
Arrivals to the airport from Singapore, most cities in Australia, and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia make up the most cancellations. Other flights have been able to land, albeit with some almost two hours behind schedule.
Flights departing Bali have also been affected, with some journeys to India, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and domestic Indonesian flights cancelled late Tuesday and throughout Wednesday.
Alongside AirAsia and Jetstar, other airlines such as Virgin Australia, Vietnam Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, KLM, Tigerair and Batik Air have seen delays and cancellations due to the ash clouds entering the atmosphere.
Indonesia’s two other main aviation hubs, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and Kualanamu International Airport near Medan, are located further away from Mount Lewotobi.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?
The majority of flights that are cancelled or delayed are those operating in Southeast Asia and Australia, with regional airlines mostly affected.
As a passenger, you are only covered by UK law if you are departing from an airport in the UK on any airline, arriving at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline, or arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline.
Due to the cancelled flights not falling under these categories, British passengers should contact their airline to find out what rights they have if their flight is disrupted.
Most airlines will rebook you on their first flight to your destination where space is available at no extra cost, and some will cover accommodation, meals and phone call costs while waiting for the flight.
Compensation is usually not available when the cause of cancellation was outside the airline’s control. In this case, the eruption of a volcano, would not have been the airline’s fault.
What is the government’s advice?
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not released any specific travel advice relating to the recent volcanic eruption.
However, it does have some general advice relating to visiting Indonesia’s volcanoes, including Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki.
The FCDO advises against all travel to a number of volcanoes in Indonesia:
- Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province to within 7km of the crater
- Mount Sinabung, Karo Regency, North Sumatra to within 5km of the crater
- Mount Marapi, West Sumatra to within 3km of the crater
- Mount Semeru, Lumajang Regency, East Java to within 5km of the crater and in the south-east of Mount Semura to within 500m from any riverbank of the Besuk Kobokan river for 13km from the crater
- Mount Ruang, Northern Sulawesi to within 7km of the crater
- Mount Ibu, North Maluku Province to within 7km of the crater
Can I cancel my holiday?
As the Foreign Office has not warned against any specific travel to Indonesia relating to Tuesday’s volcanic eruption, there will be no special circumstances in place to be able to cancel a trip for a full refund.
The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider, so it’s best to contact them if you’re looking to postpone.
There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings if you want to cancel, and you will not be able to claim on your travel insurance due to safety concerns unless government advice changes.
If you do have travel insurance, some policies include natural disaster cover for an event that prevents you from reaching your holiday destination. Check your insurance policies and speak to your insurer to see where you stand.
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