SIA, Scoot flights from Changi Airport to Bali among dozens cancelled after Indonesia volcano eruption

SINGAPORE/JAKARTA - At least two dozen flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, including Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot flights from Changi Airport, were cancelled on June 18 after a volcano in the archipelago’s east erupted, shooting an ash tower 10km into the sky.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584m twin-peaked volcano on the eastern tourist island of Flores,

erupted on June 17

, with the authorities raising its alert status to the highest level.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, SIA said four of its flights – two heading to Singapore and two arriving in Denpasar – were affected on June 18, leading to their cancellation.

The airline said it will be contacting all affected customers to inform them about the flight cancellations.

It said: “As the situation remains fluid, other SIA flights between Singapore and Indonesia may be affected. Customers may visit our flight status page for the latest information on their flights.”

SIA said it apologises to all affected customers for the inconvenience caused.

Budget airline Scoot told ST that five of its flights were cancelled on the morning of June 18.

Three of them were scheduled to depart from Singapore, while two were set to arrive at Changi Airport from Denpasar and neighbouring island Lombok.

Another flight, TR289, which was originally scheduled to depart from Denpasar for Singapore at 2pm on June 18, was also cancelled.

Scoot said it has contacted affected customers to inform them of the changes to their flights. 

“Scoot apologises for the inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. We will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust our flight schedule as necessary,” the airline said.

ST

spoke to some passengers who arrived at Changi Airport

from Bali on June 18. Some of them were not aware of the volcano eruption, while others said their flights were not affected or delayed.

A few said they had left Bali before they could feel the effects of the smoke, while some others were not concerned because the eruption happened a distance away from Bali.

Flights to Jakarta on June 19 seem to be unaffected, as at the morning of June 18.

The other flights cancelled included Jetstar Asia and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, with Air India, Air New Zealand, SIA and China’s Juneyao Airlines also cancelling flights “due to volcano”, Bali’s international airport website said on June 18.

Checks by ST on the Changi Airport website showed that several flights flying to either Bali or Jakarta were cancelled by SIA, Scoot and Jetstar on the morning of June 18.

Garuda, Indonesia’s AirAsia, BatikAir and Citilink flights to Jakarta departed as scheduled, while low-cost carrier TransNusa pushed back its 11.45am flight to Jakarta to 1.30pm.

Several domestic AirAsia flights leaving for Labuan Bajo on Flores were also cancelled.

“Ngurah Rai is still operating normally but it depends on the flight schedule, but some of the flights are cancelled due to a volcano. It depends on the route and also the airline,” a Bali airport customer service agent, who declined to give their name, told AFP.

Volcanic ash rained down on several villages around Lewotobi Laki-Laki and forced the evacuation of at least one village late on June 17, the country’s disaster mitigation agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

In November 2024,

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki

erupted multiple times, killing nine people, cancelling scores of international flights to Bali, and forcing thousands to evacuate, AFP reported.

Laki-Laki, which means “man” in Indonesian, is twinned with a calmer volcano named after the Indonesian word for “woman”.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

SIA said those affected by the flight cancellations will be re-accommodated on alternative flights or can seek a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket. It added that passengers who booked directly with the airline can use the request form for a refund.

For bookings made through travel agents or partner airlines, SIA advised customers to contact their travel agent or purchasing airline directly for assistance.

It added that customers are strongly advised to update their contact details via the Manage Booking section on its website or subscribe to its mobile notification service.