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Virgin Australia and Jetstar have cancelled more flights to and from Bali due to the ash cloud from the Mount Raung volcano.
On top of the 11 cancelled flights on Friday, Virgin has cancelled 15 services to and from Bali that were scheduled to operate on Saturday. The airline has not flown into or out of the popular Indonesian tourist destination since Tuesday due to the ash cloud impacting operations at Bali Airport.
“The latest advice from our team of meteorologists and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre is that conditions remain unsuitable for operations into and out of Denpasar Airport tomorrow, Saturday 8 August,” Virgin said on Friday afternoon.
“We have been advised that Mt Raung continues to erupt and winds are blowing in an unfavourable direction, and are forecast to continue to do so throughout the day tomorrow.
“Therefore Virgin Australia has cancelled all flights into and out of Denpasar today and tomorrow.”
Virgin Australia’s next update was expected to be released on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, Jetstar cancelled all 19 flights on Friday and eight scheduled morning services on Saturday in response to the unsafe flying conditions in and around Bali Airport.
“To give ourselves the best chance of operating flights Saturday afternoon, we will await the next VAAC information due out tomorrow morning before making a decision on our flying plans for the rest of the day,” Jetstar said on Friday afternoon.
“Our team will continue to monitor the ash cloud with the VAAC around the clock, and we will resume flying as soon as it is safe to do so. We will update customers if poor flying conditions lead to further cancellations tomorrow.”
And Air NZ said its NZ245 service from Auckland to Bali on Saturday was still scheduled to depart at 1630 local time. However, the airline said it would continue to monitor forecasts and provide an update close to departure time.
Jetstar
Friday, 7 August 2015:
All services cancelled
Saturday, 8 August 2015:
JQ44 Bali-Melbourne
JQ47 Brisbane-Bali
JQ83 Darwin-Bali
JQ91 Bali-Cairns
JQ107 Bali-Perth
JQ109 Bali-Perth
JQ110 Perth-Bali
JQ117 Singapore-Bali/Bali-Perth
Virgin Australia
Friday, 7 August 2015:
All services cancelled
Saturday, 8 August 2015
VA64 Bali-Sydney
VA55 Perth-Bali
VA49 Melbourne-Bali
VA41 Brisbane-Bali
VA65 Sydney-Bali
VA74 Bali-Port Hedland
VA73 Port Hedland-Bali
VA36 Bali-Adelaide
VA39 Adelaide-Bali
VA69 Sydney-Bali
VA62 Bali-Perth
VA46 Bali-Brisbane
VA54 Bali-Melbourne
Sunday, 9 August
VA64 Bali-Sydney
VA40 Bali-Brisbane
(Source: Virgin and Jetstar)
Sietse
says:Why is it that Garuda, Singapore Airlines and others continue to fly, even to airports on Java?
Peter Osborne
says:For the past week other airlines have been taking off and landing. When Australia was told that Denpasar was closed Flights were landing and taking off. Which is misleading to customers.
A full, and I mean full explanation in lay mans terms needs to be given to the Paying Public.
If Applications which can be used on Smart Phones can show Flights landing and taking off from an Airport that is supposed to be closed gives rise to the question ” Why”
Tbone
says:Well done to the airlines on not taking any risks and keeping everyone safe during these eruptions. Hopefully I”ll get there Tuesday.
Nick
says:Stranded in Bali at the moment with a family of 4 adults
We sit on the beach watching every other airline take off and land? Why not australian airlines….
Safety net gets brought out and we are expected to swallow it
I regretfull think its only about cost to arlines to repaint and fuel in case they have to turn back
Dane
says:Individual airlines probably apply their own risk management to the situation. Some airlines like Garuda may have data saying the ash cloud isn’t too dense and are willing to accept the risk of flying into Denpasar. Australian airlines probably err on the side caution and simply won’t fly into known ash and put lives unnecessarily at risk. Would you want to be on the aircraft flying through the ash when everything goes quiet? Probably not.