Virgin Australia Cancels All Flights In And Out Of Bali Because Of Volcanic Ash Cloud

Virgin Australia has canceled all flights in and out of Bali, Indonesia, after it was decided by officials that ash clouds from the erupting Mount Raung could interfere with aircraft safety. The volcano, which has been erupting since last week, has caused dozens of flights delays and cancelations, as well as the closure of many airports in the region.

"The latest advice from our team of meteorologists and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre is that conditions are no longer suitable for operations into and out of Denpasar Airport today," said a Virgin Australia spokesperson Sunday morning. "We have been advised that Mount Raung continues to erupt and winds are now blowing in an unfavorable direction and are forecast to continue to do so for the rest of the day."

Denpasar Airport was closed Friday because of the ash, along with nearby regional terminals -- including Lombok. According to the spokesperson, the cancelations affect 18 flights, including six through Brisbane, Australia, three from Sydney and four each through Melbourne and Perth.

A spokeswoman from Brisbane Airport said Jetstar had also canceled all Brisbane flights to and from Bali’s main airport, Denpasar. Mount Raung, which is in East Java, Indonesia, about 150 kilometres west of the airport, erupted on July 2, emitting plumes of ash that can choke jet engines and bring down aircraft.

The ash grounded planes from Virgin, Jetstar, Garuda and AirAsia on Friday.