Lombok’s Mt. Rinjani has erupted yet again sending an ash cloud into the sky that has forcefully cancelled select international flights in and out of Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar.
Bali airport spokesman Awaluddin told media that three airlines cancelled flights on Tuesday because of the eruption, naming them as Virgin Airlines, Tiger Air, and Jetstar.
However, despite the flight cancellations, Ngurah Rai Airport Manager Yanus Suprayogi spoke of no Bali airport closure at this time as a result of Mt. Rinjani’s eruption.
“So, we have kept activities in operation. And there’s no closure. Only cancellations have been submitted by (certain) airlines,” Tribun Bali quoted Suprayogi as saying on Tuesday.
It was Barujari, the smaller, active volcano within Rinjani that erupted around 10:45 am on Tuesday morning, with ash reportedly spreading as much as 2,500 meters.
The same volcano recently erupted in August earlier this year, as well as in November 2015 (remember the epic #stuckinBali hashtag?).
The Bali Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has confirmed with local media that ash from Rinjani’s eruption has not reached Bali at this time.
“Though it first went westwards, so far it has not been up to, or affected Bali,” Denpasar BMKG Head Wayan Suardana told Tribun.
“We are still monitoring the movement of the volcanic ash. From information in Mataram, the eruption has so far not affected flight activity or the community. Activities are still being monitored and we will be informed if they increase,” Suardana said.
Reader Interactions