Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport will stay closed on Wednesday as fears grow that a huge eruption on Mount Agung could be just hours away.
More than 800 flights have been grounded this week and that could continue even if a big eruption does not occur due to current weather conditions drawing Agung’s ash cloud south toward the airport.
"Rays of fire are increasingly visible from night to the following day. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent," the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.
There are tens of thousands of tourists stranded at the airport or holed up in nearby hotels awaiting news that flights will resume.
Authorities have heeded calls by Bali governor Made Pastika and Indonesian tourism minister Arief Yahya to make things as comfortable as possible for stranded travellers.
This includes free or heavily discounted hotel rooms, free transport to the airport and free visa extensions for visitors in danger of overstaying due to the disruption.
"It is not their wish to extend their stay. This is a force majeure that we cannot avoid, so I urge the travel industry to help ease their burden," Arief said.
Many visitors have decided not to sit and wait and have taken the long ferry and overland journey to reach Surabaya Airport in East Java and hope to secure flights home from there.
Volcanic ash has been spewing more than 4,000 metres high and has reached the area around the airport.
Experts say a big blowout is definitely a possibility but the volcano could also stay at its current level of activity for weeks on end, bring long term disruption and uncertainty to the Bali tourism industry.
"All affected airlines are closely monitoring developments, including updates provided by the Indonesian authorities, meteorological service providers and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre," said the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.
"Passengers should update their personal contact information with the relevant airlines in order to stay fully informed on further developments regarding flight operations, and also pay close attention to further updates and advisories issued by the Indonesian authorities regarding the latest developments in the affected area surrounding Mount Agung," the AAPA added.
