"Not safe at the moment"

Volcanic eruption: Bali vacationers on hold

Bali is only about 500 kilometers away from the province of East Nusa Tenggara, where the 1584-meter-high volcano (pictured) is located.

(Bild: AFP)

The eruption of the 1584-metre-high Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano in Indonesia has thwarted the plans of thousands of Bali holidaymakers. The frustration is great!

The news brings back memories of 2010, when Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland paralyzed Europe's entire air traffic.

Ash rain instead of sunbathing
This time it's mainly Bali travelers who are affected. For days, the Lewotobi Laki-Laki in Indonesia has been spewing ash miles into the sky and causing flight cancellations that could also catch some Austrians off guard. Holidaymakers who were looking forward to sun, beach and relaxation are now worried about their long-awaited vacation starting on time - or about their journey home.

Dozens of flights canceled
Several airlines have canceled dozens of flights to and from the vacation island of Bali, including Virgin Australia, Air Asia and Tigerair from Singapore. This affected 34 flights on Tuesday alone. The decision was made for safety reasons due to the immense masses of ash over the mountain of fire, it was said.

Many travelers are now stuck here at Denpasar Airport.

(Bild: AFP)

The Australian airline Jetstar, for example, announced that "flight operations to and from Bali are currently unsafe". However, the situation is being closely monitored. As soon as the situation improves, flights to and from Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, Bali, will be resumed.

Flight operations to and from Bali are currently not safe.

Mitteilung der australischen Airline Jetstar

Local air traffic has been affected for some time. First two small airports on Flores closed, then the international airport in Labuan Bajo was hit. The entire region is covered in a thick layer of ash.