The eruption of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano in eastern Flores island at 11:05 AM local time sent a column of ash nearly 18 km high. Within 15 minutes, several mountain villages were plunged into total darkness: a dense gray-black plume covered the sky, and the ground was hit by a hot 'rain' of ash and small gravel.
The cloud spread north, northeast, and northwest, disrupting aviation operations.
Frans Seda Airport in Maumere was closed for several hours; later, operations resumed. The main inconveniences were experienced by Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali: 32 flights (17 departures and 15 arrivals) were delayed or canceled. Six Virgin Australia flights to/from Melbourne, Gold Coast, and Sydney, sixteen Jetstar Airways flights to/from Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, and Singapore, two AirAsia Indonesia flights to Labuan Bajo, as well as Qantas Airways flights to Sydney and Melbourne and Air Busan to Busan were removed from the schedule or rescheduled. Aerodrome tests confirmed no ash in the airport's airspace; the cancellations are due to routes passing north of Bali, where the plume is currently being detected.
Ngurah Rai administration quickly set up assistance points on the second floor of the international terminal and in the ticketing area of the domestic terminal. Passengers were provided with drinking water, rest areas, and assistance with refunds or route changes. By 3:30 PM local time, an airport representative reported that the ash cloud no longer affected flights, and the rest of the flights were operating on a regular schedule. Many airlines notified passengers of changes in advance to save them from unnecessary trips to the airport.
The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation warns of possible repeated strong episodes and cold lava flows during rain.
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