Bali airport to reopen after volcanic ash disruption

  • 29/11/2017
Bali airport to reopen after volcanic ash disruption
Photo credit: Newshub.

Bali airport will reopen on Wednesday afternoon, two days after a volcanic eruption spread ash across the island and forced the airport to close.

The airport will reopen at 3pm local time, (8pm NZ time) officials say.

Authorities have previously told 100,000 people to leave an area extending 10km from Mount Agung as it belches grey and white ash plumes, the low clouds hanging over the volcano at times hued red from the lava welling in the crater.

Airport spokesman Ari Ahsanurrohim said more than 440 flights were cancelled on Tuesday, affecting nearly 60,000 passengers.

Without aircraft, getting in or out of Bali requires travelling hours by land and taking a boat to another island, enduring choppy seas in Bali's rainy season.

The grounding of flights coincided with schoolies week in Australia, when an estimated 6000 teens were expected to flock to the island resort.

Reuters