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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
SIA, Scoot flights from Changi Airport to Bali among dozens cancelled after Indonesia volcano eruption
Several flights to Bali were cancelled on June 18 after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted. ST PHOTO: NADINE CHUA Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki spews smoke and volcanic ash as seen from Kawalelo village in East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia on June 17. PHOTO: REUTERS Villagers watch the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki as seen from Talibura village in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, on June 17. PHOTO: AFP Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted on June 17, with authorities raising its alert status to the highest level. PHOTO: REUTERS SIA, Scoot flights from Changi Airport to Bali among dozens cancelled after Indonesia volcano eruption - At least two dozen flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, including Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot flights from Changi Airport, were cancelled on June 18 after a volcano in the archipelago's east erupted, shooting an ash tower 10km into the sky. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703m twin-peaked volcano on the eastern tourist island of Flores, erupted on June 17, with the authorities raising its alert status to the highest level. In response to queries from The Straits Times, SIA said that four of its flights – two heading to Singapore and two arriving in Denpasar – were affected on June 18, leading to their cancellation. The airline said it will be contacting all affected customers to inform them about the flight cancellations. SIA said: 'As the situation remains fluid, other SIA flights between Singapore and Indonesia may be affected. Customers may visit our flight status page for the latest information on their flights.' SIA said it apologises to all affected customers for the inconvenience caused. Budget airline Scoot told ST that five of its flights were cancelled on the morning of June 18. Three of them were scheduled to depart from Singapore, while two were set to arrive at Changi Airport from neighbouring island Lombok and Denpasar. Another flight, TR289, which was originally scheduled to depart from Denpasar for Singapore at 2pm on June 18, was also cancelled. Scoot said it has contacted affected customers to inform them of the changes to their flights. 'Scoot apologises for the inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. We will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust our flight schedule as necessary,' the airline said. ST spoke to some passengers who arrived at Changi Airport from Bali on June 18. Some of them were not aware of the volcano eruption while others said their flights were not affected or delayed. A few passengers said that they had left Bali before they could feel the effects of the smoke, while some others were not concerned because the eruption happened a distance away from Bali. Flights to Jakarta on June 19 seem to be unaffected, as at the morning of June 18. The other flights cancelled included Jetstar Asia and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, with Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and China's Juneyao Airlines also cancelling flights 'due to volcano', Bali's international airport website said on June 18. Checks by ST on the Changi Airport website showed that several flights flying to either Bali or Jakarta were cancelled by Singapore Airlines, Scoot and Jetstar on the morning of June 18. Garuda, Indonesia's AirAsia, BatikAir and Citilink airlines seem to have been unaffected and are scheduled to depart for Jakarta, while low-cost carrier Transnusa pushed back its 11.45am flight to Jakarta to 1.30pm. The flights cancelled include those operated by Singapore Airlines, Scoot and Jetstar Asia. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM CHANGI AIRPORT WEBSITE Several domestic AirAsia flights leaving for Labuan Bajo on Flores were also cancelled. 'Ngurah Rai is still operating normally but it depends on the flight schedule, but some of the flights are cancelled due to a volcano. It depends on the route and also the airline,' a Bali airport customer service agent who declined to give their name told AFP. Volcanic ash rained down on several villages around Lewotobi Laki-Laki and forced the evacuation of at least one village late on June 17, the country's disaster mitigation agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Volcanic ash rained down on several villages around Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki and forced the evacuation of at least one village late on June 17. PHOTO: EPA-EFE In November 2024, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times, killing nine people, cancelling scores of international flights to Bali and forcing thousands to evacuate, AFP reported. Laki-Laki, which means 'man' in Indonesian, is twinned with a calmer volcano named after the Indonesian word for 'woman'. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. SIA said those affected by the flight cancellations will be re-accommodated on alternative flights or can seek a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket. It added that passengers who booked directly with the airline can use the request form for a refund. For bookings made through travel agents or partner airlines, SIA advised customers to contact their travel agent or purchasing airline directly for assistance. SIA added that customers are also strongly advised to update their contact details via the 'Manage Booking' section on their website or subscribe to their mobile notification service. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
SIA flights from Changi Airport to Bali among dozens cancelled after Indonesia volcano eruption
Several flights to Bali were cancelled on June 18 after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted on June 17. PHOTOS: EPA-EFE, NADINE CHUA SIA flights from Changi Airport to Bali among dozens cancelled after Indonesia volcano eruption JAKARTA - At least two dozen flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, including Singapore Airlines flights from Changi Airport, have been cancelled after a volcano in the archipelago's east erupted, shooting an ash tower 10km into the sky. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703m twin-peaked volcano on the eastern tourist island of Flores, erupted on June 17, with authorities raising its alert status to the highest level. The flights cancelled included Jetstar Asia and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, with Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's TigerAir and Singapore Airlines and China's Juneyao Airlines also cancelling flights 'due to volcano', Bali's international airport website said on June 18. Several domestic AirAsia flights leaving for Labuan Bajo on Flores were also cancelled. 'Ngurah Rai is still operating normally but it depends on the flight schedule, but some of the flights are cancelled due to a volcano. It depends on the route and also the airline,' a Bali airport customer service agent who declined to give their name told AFP. The flights cancelled include those operated by Singapore Airlines, Scoot and Jetstar Asia. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM CHANGI AIRPORT WEBSITE Volcanic ash rained down on several villages around Lewotobi Laki-Laki and forced the evacuation of at least one village late on June 17 the country's disaster mitigation agency said. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties. In November 2024, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times, killing nine people, cancelling scores of international flights to the tourist island of Bali and forcing thousands to evacuate. Laki-Laki, which means 'man' in Indonesian, is twinned with a calmer volcano named after the Indonesian word for 'woman'. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
