Australia`s Jetstar Resumes Flight Services To Bali

Kuta, Bali (Antara Bali)- Jetstar has resumed its services to Bali after having cancelled six flights to the island last night after receiving information about a volcanic eruption in East Java, Indonesia.

"They canceled flights to Bali due to safety reasons since according to their satellite data, a volcano had erupted, and its ash was blowing towards Australia," Yusfandri Gona, the head of the Region IV Airport Authorities for Bali and Nusa Tenggara, stated at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, here, Friday.

Two flights were turned back three hours into their journey.

However, on Friday morning until noon, the six flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, Perth, and Singapore are scheduled to arrive in Bali, he added.

Jetstar was the only Australian airline that had canceled its flights to Bali on Thursday evening. Other Australian airlines` flights to and from Bali were not affected.

Yusfandri said the eruption of Mt Raung in East Java has not affected domestic and international flights to and from Bali.

Australian media ABC reported on Friday that after assessing the flying conditions with the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), Jetstar had decided to resume its services.

"We regret the impact that these cancellations have had on our passengers, particularly during the busy school holiday period, but we will always prioritize safety before schedule," Jetstar stated.

It said the decision to cancel the flights came after the VAAC revised a volcanic ash advisory from code orange to code red, but it had been downgraded back to code orange on Friday.

According to Jackson Browne from the VAAC, the volcano in eastern Java erupted at 6:30 p.m. (Darwin time), and it was difficult to pinpoint where it was.

"It is a Strombolian-type of eruption, and there was not a lot of emission from the volcano itself," Browne was quoted as saying by ABC.

"In fact, the ash emissions were so thin that they were not identified in satellite imagery.

"We were receiving pictures just showing a sort of thin cigarette-like plume from the volcano," he stated.

Browne stated that Mount Raung is located about 150 kilometers from Denpasar, and the ash could blow over the airport if the winds were blowing in that direction.

He said the eruption paled in comparison with major eruptions, which in the past have produced cubic kilometers of ash. (WDY)