Bali airport is now closed for many Australian flights due to Mount Rinjani volcano eruption
This post has been updated 10 December 2020 and as of this day the volcano is no longer erupting and Bali is safe.
This is not good news I’m afraid, but airport staff are now saying that flights will resume today ( Thursday 4th November) 2015 at some point in time depending on weather conditions. The only thing you can do is to keep on checking with your carrier for any updates on flight status.
Mt Rinjani is located in Lombok and its location is close enough to Bali to close the airport. Lombok airport is also closed. This seems to be happening a lot lately. There are over 650 flights affected in and out of Denpasar and Lombok airports.
The odd thing is that most of the cancelled flights are from Jetstar and Virgin, with other carriers like Garuda and Singapore Airlines continuing with their normal flight schedule. So this volcanic eruption has really affected mostly Aussies stuck in Bali and those looking to go to Bali. If you’re not travelling to Bali for a couple of weeks and are concerned how this will affect your travel plans please speak to your airline as they may be able to organise your flights for a later date. If your staying in a villa; same applies, get in touch with your agent or the people you booked the villa through.
A lot of people are asking us why do the airlines cancel flights when the volcano is on another island and the answer is simple. The eruption causes an ash cloud and if the wind is blowing in the direction of Bali (Easterly) then it’s far too dangerous for planes to take off and land as the ash can get into the engines. The risk is far too great.
Another question is why can’t we try to leave from another airport. Well, you can always try to make your way to Java and rebook your flights with another carrier but this gets expensive plus you have the added hassle of getting over to another island, especially if you’re with a family. It’s not so easy to do.
What to do if you are stuck in Bali and need accommodation
It’s horrible when this happens, you have to find somewhere to stay and need it fast. The way we can help is if you can contact our reservation team and they will try to sort out some short term villa accommodation for you till the airlines resume flying. We will respond immediately if the volcano has disrupted or affected your holiday plans. We do however strongly suggest that you always take out travel insurance and look closely at your policy to make sure that it is covered by any natural disasters like a volcano eruption.
As off November the 18th 2017 as an update the volcano has not erupted in more than a year and there has been absolutely no flight cancellations or disruptions to travel plans as a result of any volcano activity in Lombok or around the Mt Rinjani area.
Steven is a die-hard Bali island addict and committed surfie. When he's not writing or taking videos of the latest restaurants or cool places, he's at Echo Beach surfing or riding his scooter around Seminyak, Berawa or Canggu. Steve is part of the Bali Villa Escapes marketing team and has been living in and out of Bali for the last 15 years.
