Bali International Airport closed following eruption

Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport has been closed multiple times by volcanic activity since September last year. Photo / Mahendra Moonstar, Getty

Bali's international airport has been forced to close its runway, following the eruption of Mount Agung.

Ngurah Rai International Airport, just south of Denpasar has been forced to ground planes and turn away inbound flights following the eruption.

The airport announced earlier this morning it would be closed "due to the volcanic ashes of Mount Agung", and would be making a further assessment whether to open its runway at 7pm local time.

I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport is closed due to the volcanic ashes of Mount Agung. Please stay updated for every information from our official account. pic.twitter.com/G7HaAyz5FD

— I Gusti Ngurah Rai (@baliairports) June 28, 2018

Air New Zealand has cancelled both of its inbound and outbound flights from Bali today, flight NZ245 and NZ246.

The ash cloud poses "a threat to aircraft flying in the area," wrote the Herald's Grant Bradley.

"Volcanic ash is hard and abrasive, and can damage propellers and turbo compressor blades, as well as scratching cockpit windows."

It's unlikely that flights will resume until it is certain that aircraft will not be damaged.

The new direct Emirates EK 451 service between Bali and Auckland has been severely delayed, and was awaiting a decision from the airline.

Mt Agung has seen increased seismic activity since September last year and caused flight delays during another eruption in December.

A 4km exclusion area is still in place around the base of the volcano.

Those travelling to Bali should check with their carrier for the latest news and travel information.

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Woah I witnessed my first volcano eruption tonight! I went to the beach at sunset to shoot the full moon rise and got this bonus! I was juggling my cameras, squealing with excitement, getting some fun shots! See the video on IGTV 🎥👱🏼‍♀️ . The locals tell me they haven’t seen Mount Agung erupt this much since last year when they had the really big eruptions that led to evacuations. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about now though. . #mountagung #mountagungvolcano #volcano #mothernature #fury #travel #wearetravelgirls #travelindofitur #wonderfulindonesia #travelphotography #girldiscoverers #fluidmedias #bali #wanderwoman #olympusomdem5markii #naturephotography #thebalibible

A post shared by Roxanne Taylor Media (@roxannetaylormedia) on Jun 28, 2018 at 9:28am PDT