Volcanic Ash Grounds Air NZ Flights Between Auckland and Bali

Due to volcanic ash, several flights, including one from Auckland, have been canceled today to and from Bali.

The scheduled departure time of Air NZ flight NZ62 to Denpasar, which was set for Wednesday at 7.20 p.m., has been canceled. Additionally, the NZ63 flight from Denpasar to Auckland was canceled.

Since its November 3 eruption, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano has erupted multiple times, releasing an ash plume up to 10 kilometers in height.

The most recent eruption happened Tuesday, according to the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.

About 500 kilometers from Bali, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is located in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, on the island of Flores.

Airlines suffer greatly as the cloud of volcanic ash obstructs the flight path. Flights were still canceled today after several airlines grounded their aircraft overnight.

Alex Marren, the chief operating officer of Air NZ, stated that employee and passenger safety was the airline's "utmost priority" and that it will keep an eye on the ash's progress in the days ahead.

Marren went on to say, "Customers will be accommodated on the next available Air New Zealand service."

"We appreciate the patience of our customers as we resolve this issue."

Nine people have been killed by the eruption thus far, according to Indonesia's disaster agency, Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB), and 15,000 people who lived near the crater have been evacuated. There has also been damage to 25 schools and 23 residences.

At this time, the recommendation was for customers who were impacted by the disruptions to contact their airline. Travelers should review their travel insurance policy to determine their coverage in the case of a flight cancellation due to volcanic activity.