Bali Flights Cancelled due to Lewotobi Volcano Nov. 2024

[MooTime]

Did you just make a generalisation about all 'Bali travellers'? What is the profile of said Bali travellers according to you?

There's most definitely a generalization about Bali, The Aussie Bali Bogans, they make a mess on the peaceful island, a mockery, total embarrassment at best of times. Give the rest of us Aussie's a bad rap.

Now now it's a generalization, not every Aussie traveller there.

OT so no point going any further.

 

[Saab34]

Next few graphical updates will be interesting as the winds are shifting.

Recovery will take a few days regardless. Virgin has a MAX stuck on the ground it seems so at least they will be able to get one plane load out when times permit.

 

[ZacN]

Looking at flight maps the only airlines that have cancelled flights to and from Bali are AUS airlines and flights to and from KL. There’s currently an AirAsia on route from PER to DPS as I type and a return flight due to come back later. I mean Citilink are still doing Lombok flights for heavens sake so I think if you are on AirAsia or Citilink from PER tomorrow you should be pretty safe in knowing you’re flight will not be cancelled. The disruption indexes also show that yes there are minor disruptions but pretty much business as usual in DPS, the reason the rating is higher than normal is because of all the cancelled AUS flights being the number higher.

 

[muscle_jab]

There's most definitely a generalization about Bali, The Aussie Bali Bogans, they make a mess on the peaceful island, a mockery, total embarrassment at best of times. Give the rest of us Aussie's a bad rap.

Now now it's a generalization, not every Aussie traveller there.

OT so no point going any further.

Anyone who spends more than a few weeks in Bali knows that the Australian profile of the Bali traveller has substantially changed over the years. There's of course a fair bit of boganism still going on but I'd be as brave as saying it's possibly not the vast majority anymore. Of course it all depends on what we consider bogan. Depending on some definitions, 90% of the Australian population would fall under the bogan and unsophisticated category.

In any case, thanks for determining whether there is a need to go further. Nothing like a healthy degree of self-importance to traffic light a thread.
Ok, back to the point

 

[Quickstatus]

Interestingly my go to TI (CoverMore) does not appear to have exclusions for "act of god" - earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, volcanic ash etc. Maybe I did not look carefully. Will check again tonight

 

[henrus]

Next few graphical updates will be interesting as the winds are shifting.

Recovery will take a few days regardless. Virgin has a MAX stuck on the ground it seems so at least they will be able to get one plane load out when times permit.

I’m seeing the 18hr forecast which is 8:40am QLD time with surface to FL150 still directly over the island of Bali.

 

[Saab34]

Jetstar are sticking to a no refunds policy, credit only. Virgin and Qantas offering refunds.

Jetstar have always been hell bent on refunds.

 

[brokenagain]

Indo based airlines have authority to redirect through Indo Military Airspace I believe. I think I also heard they have a higher cruising altitude meaning they would be less affected.

This is a completely incorrect statement. Maybe the Indonesian carriers are more willing to accept risk than the Australian ones though? To their credit, Garuda and (surprisingly) Lion did make an effort to route around the ash warning area, unlike Malindo and Citilink who obviously have less regard for the safety of their aircraft and customers. Watching 3 Malinda flights inbound to DPS at the moment from MEL, SYD and BNE is mind boggling.

 

[RooFlyer]

I wonder if the Indonesian carriers or the Indon government take the VAAC data/graphical representations that we see and subject them to a bit closer analysis such as, rather than regarding it as a uniform envelope, they look at areas of denser and finer particulates and risk-weight that? Or they have their own data and analysis - after all, this is a 'daily' challenge for them.

 

[Harrison_133]

Batik and Citilink are now cancelling tomorrow's flights.

 

[CaptJCool]

Fly at your peril
Why WOULD anyone EXPECT Qantas group to FLY through ash clouds ??
If safety is their highest priority ?

Now while this might NOT happen it’s a salient lesson for those who wish to fly through ash clouds

British Airways Flight 009 - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[ZacN]

Batik and Citilink are now cancelling tomorrow's flights.

Where did you get this info?

 

[Himeno]

I wonder if the Indonesian carriers or the Indon government take the VAAC data/graphical representations that we see and subject them to a bit closer analysis such as, rather than regarding it as a uniform envelope, they look at areas of denser and finer particulates and risk-weight that? Or they have their own data and analysis - after all, this is a 'daily' challenge for them.

Volcanic ash is abrasive to aircraft parts, damaging engines, flight control surfaces and windows.
Jet engines don't run hot enough to melt the ash, so it cools and blocks vents, fuel nozzles, etc.
Sulfur dioxide, a part of volcanic ash clouds, is corrosive to aircraft.
During the April 2010 Eyjafjallajökull disruption in Europe, a number of F-16s and F-18s had their engines destroyed due to the ash.

During the Eyjafjallajökull disruption, following complaints from airlines, the UK CAA decided that ash concentration below 4 milligrams per cubic metre was "safe", however aircraft and engine manufacturers haven't conducted any testing or studies to determine any "safe" level of volcanic ash.

 

[Harrison_133]

Where did you get this info?

Perth Airport website lists the Citilink flight as cancelled and I knew some people due to fly Batik home tonight who just got told their flight was cancelled.

 

[Scarlett]

If I really needed to get to DPS I’d be going via CGK.
No issue flying from ports in Aus to CGK and then three or so flights every hour CGK-DPS at cheap rates.

The ash has been mostly to the south (and east) of Bali with current winds, so departures from DPS heading west / arrivals from the west have continued as normal.

Someone upthread asked about affects on other airfields in the region: the eruption has affected plenty of others in NTB and NTT provinces. I recall the first I saw was KOE (Kupang / El Tari) being closed shortly after the first days eruptions. Then the winds carried the ash over more of NTB province and LBJ (Komodo) was closed.

FR24 gives a good view of how the ash cloud is likely to be drifting with forecast winds.



Note also the second volcano depicted (the western one, on Java - Semeru). It has had low level eruptions on and off for the past few years so only has a small ash cloud.

 

[RooFlyer]

Volcanic ash is abrasive to aircraft parts, damaging engines, flight control surfaces and windows.
Jet engines don't run hot enough to melt the ash, so it cools and blocks vents, fuel nozzles, etc.
Sulfur dioxide, a part of volcanic ash clouds, is corrosive to aircraft.

Yes, as a geologist I'm across what constitutes volcanic ash (ie see post 72) and I was flying around myself when BA009 occurred. But equally, the 'ash cloud' described by the VACC isn't uniform, - it won't be as dense nor the particulates as large near the leading edge of the envelope (where Bali is, for example) as near the eruption.

While the VACC envelope may define 'unsafe' flying conditions (and as far as I can quickly tell, its a 'VA cloud'), I'm not saying that any sub-analysis of the 'cloud' by Indonesian airlines is a good idea - just speculating that that may explain why they are flying through it at the moment.

 

[billmurray]

Those who are affected or have been in the past, how has travel insurance dealt with this? Any relying on credit card insurance (AMEX specially)? If you're delayed several days (someone previous said possibly the 19th is their new fight, so over a week delay), would it all be covered?

 

[Pushka]

Those who are affected or have been in the past, how has travel insurance dealt with this? Any relying on credit card insurance (AMEX specially)? If you're delayed several days (someone previous said possibly the 19th is their new fight, so over a week delay), would it all be covered?

Depends on the policy. If you bought one right now it would be excluded. Some require you to tick a Natural Events inclusion. You'd have to read the cards terms to know.

 

[p--and--t]

Interesting hearing some of the perspectives in interviews with tourists stuck in Bali.

One very agro says no-one ever travel with JQ because they cancelled my preferred flight and rebooked me for early next week.

Yet another with cooler head reported VA saying no rebooking can be offered, passenger’s only option is refund and sort out your own return. Understands volcano causing the issues but obviously feeling abandoned.

 

[flydoc]

all Malindo/Batik flights launched out of DPS straight through the volcanic area

Unbelievable

Un-Ba-livable? Not really.
Both airlines are on my no-fly list.