Eruption disrupts flights to Bali

DENPASAR – Bali holidaymakers continue to face delays with airlines cancelling flights for the fourth successive day on Saturday.

Both Virgin and Jetstar have cancelled their flights to and from Bali since Wednesday.

Volcanic ash forced Denpasar Airport to close completely for several hours on Thursday.

The Mount Raung volcano has caused chaos for travellers since it began spewing ash in early July and is still erupting up to a height of about 6000 metres. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology predicts the current conditions will linger over the next few days.

“We are expecting these conditions to persist for a few days, so we are expecting periods of disruption to come and go,” a spokesman said. “We are pretty much at the mercy of the winds. By Monday and Tuesday next week we should see the winds turn around.”