Volcano forces changes to Perth flights

The eruption of Indonesia’s Mt Merapi volcano has forced a number of airlines flying between Asian destinations and Perth to extend their flying times due to a major cloud of ash lingering over the northwest of WA.

According to The West Australian, Qantas flights from Singapore have been forced to fly east of Timor before turning south to Perth, adding about 90 minutes to their journey. Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines have also confirmed that their flights to Perth have been forced to take different tracks and fly at lower cruising altitudes, while passengers on a recent Jetstar flight were forced to divert to Darwin for a refuelling stop en route  to Perth.