Airport reopens but Bali flights grounded

After a brief respite for travellers, a volcanic ash cloud in Bali has wafted back over Denpasar airport and grounded flights.

Passengers wait for their postponed flights

Stranded passengers have begun arriving from Bali as the first planes land in Australia today. (AAP)

Denpasar airport might have reopened but Virgin Australia and Jetstar flights are still grounded, just a day after Bali travellers thought they were in the clear.

More than 1000 people returned to Australia via Jetstar on Sunday morning, after the airline and Virgin resumed flights on Saturday evening following news the volcanic ash cloud from Mt Ruang had drifted away.

But the celebrations were short-lived.

The ash cloud returned on Sunday morning, forcing authorities to shut the airport again.

However it was reopened in the afternoon as the ash shifted, the government said.

"Full, normal operations have resumed, however planes are to fly in and out from a westerly direction to avoid the ash," transport ministry spokesman J A Barata told AFP.

Despite this, Jetstar and Virgin cancelled Sunday evening flights and announced disruptions for Monday.

A Jetstar spokesman said two flights on Monday morning will be delayed.

Virgin Australia said in a statement that all flights from Australia to Denpasar on Monday had been cancelled, following the latest advice from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. Flights returning to Australia on Monday afternoon and evening are still under review.

Both Virgin and Jetstar plan to add extra services when conditions improve and the latter is working with Qantas to obtain more aircraft.

At least two Garuda flights that left Sydney and Perth for Denpasar on Sunday morning were forced to divert to Jakarta's international airport.

But after Bali airport reopened on Sunday, Garuda said flights that diverted due to the ash cloud would head back, while budget airline AirAsia announced services from the island were resuming.

Mt Ruang erupted on July 2, emitting plumes of ash that can choke jet engines. The volcano is about 150km west of Denpasar airport, the main airport for those heading to Bali.

Denpasar airport was closed on Friday because of the ash, along with nearby regional terminals including Lombok.

The ash grounded planes from Virgin, Jetstar, Garuda and AirAsia on Friday, axing about 300 flights to and from Bali.

Airport officials did not immediately know how many flights would be axed because of the new shutdown.


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Source: AAP


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