- Mount Lewotobi erupted on Thursday night
- Lingering ash cloud deemed unsafe for flights
Flights in and out of Bali have been cancelled because of volcanic ash from the erupting Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia.
Jetstar cancelled six return flights on Friday morning due to the unsafe conditions.
The airline is monitoring the situation and its afternoon fights have not yet been cancelled.
Qantas also has afternoon flights scheduled which have not yet been impacted.
Virgin Australia is expecting delays on two Friday flights: VA45 BNE-DPS and VA91 MEL-DP. The delays will also impact the corresponding return flights.
‘Virgin Australia’s meteorologists are closely monitoring ash cloud movement in Indonesia following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi overnight,’ a spokesperson said.
‘Safety is our top priority and based on the current forecast we expect some delays to Bali services today.
‘Guests travelling to and from Bali today should monitor their flight information on the Virgin Australia website and app.’
The volcano on the tourist island of Flores spewed ash eight kilometres into the sky
Mount Lewotobi’s eruption on Thursday night local time (pictured) has left a lingering ash cloud
Jetstar cancelled six return flights on Friday morning due to the unsafe conditions
Mount Lewotobi began erupting at about 11pm local time on Thursday.
It spewed ash eight kilometres into the sky as officials raised their alert level to its highest, according to local reports.
The 1,700-metre volcano on the tourist island of Flores erupted for 11 minutes.
No damage to nearby villages was reported, but it left a lingering ash cloud.
It comes after a previous eruption in November killed nine people, cancelled international flights to Bali and forced thousands to evacuate.
