Volcanic ash disrupts Air NZ flights between Auckland and Bali

Several flights to and from Bali have been cancelled today due to volcanic ash, including a flight from Auckland to Bali. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Several flights to and from Bali have been cancelled today due to volcanic ash, including a flight from Auckland.

Air NZ flight NZ62 to Denpasar was scheduled to depart on Wednesday at 7.20pm but has since been cancelled. A later flight — NZ63 from Denpasar to Auckland — was also cancelled.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano erupted on November 3 and has erupted several times since, sending a plume of ash as high as 10km.

According to the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, the most recent eruption occurred on Tuesday.

Situated on the island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki sits about 500km from Bali.

The volcanic ash cloud causes havoc for airlines, hindering the flight path. Several airlines grounded their planes overnight and flights remained cancelled today.

Air NZ chief operating officer Alex Marren said the safety of staff and passengers was of the “utmost priority” and the airline would continue to monitor the movement of the ash over coming days.

For Air NZ customers affected, Marren added: “Customers will be accommodated on the next available Air New Zealand service”.

“We thank customers for their patience while we work through this disruption.”

Indonesia’s disaster agency, Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) reported the eruption had so far killed nine people and 15,000 residents living close to the crater had been evacuated. In addition, 23 homes and 25 schools had been damaged.

9news.com reported meteorologists were continuing to monitor the situation and airlines were expected to make further announcements on additional cancellations when necessary.

The recommendation at this time was for customers affected by the disruptionsto stay in touch with their airline. Travellers should also check their travel insurance policy to see what’s covered in the event of a volcanic-related flight cancellation.