UPDATED: Bali flights resume as ash cloud shifts

UPDATED: Bali flights resume as ash cloud shifts

UPDATED 2pm AEST: Jetstar has resumed flying to and from Bali while Virgin Australia flights are now running on time, after a volcanic ash cloud hovering around Denpasar airport moved away from the area.

“We’ve determined it’s safe to resume services,” Jetstar said in a statement on Thursday.

Virgin Australia agreed, saying all of its day-time flights from Australian to Denpasar will operate.

“We are monitoring the situation closely,” Virgin Australian said.

Unfavourable winds this week pushed ash from the Mount Raung volcano in Indonesia back towards Denpasar, forcing the closure of its airport.

Ash clouds can choke jet engines and destroy bodywork.

Aviation expert Geoff Thomas says while the winds are blowing the ash cloud away from Bali, the threat may not be over.

“This volcano is continuing to erupt,” he told the Seven Network.

“It shows no sign of abating and it really depends on the wind conditions, which way the wind is going to blow this ash, and so we could have the same situation in 24 or 48 hours.”

Both airlines will operate additional flight in and out of Denpasar to help travellers get to their destinations.

Virgin Australia also said it would waive fare differences for travellers booked to travel to Bali by July 28, but who want to switch to one of 12 other Indonesian islands.

Virgin Australia has scheduled additional services today in order to get affected guests to their intended destination as quickly as possible. Those flights are detailed below.

Flights which have operated to/from Denpasar (Bali) today, Thursday 23 July 2015:

VA49 MEL-DPS                  Estimated Time Departure: 1100L  delayed +1hr 55mins

VA41 BNE-DPS                  Estimated Time Departure: 1105L  delayed +1hr

VA9547 ADL-DPS               Estimated Time Departure: 1110L  delayed +1hr                 (additional service)

VA65 SYD-DPS                   Scheduled Time Departure: 1115L 

Flights scheduled to operate to/from Denpasar (Bali) for the remainder of today, Thursday 23 July 2015:

VA62 DPS-PER                Scheduled Time Departure: 1640L

VA34 DPS-ADL                 Estimated Time Departure: 1540L  delayed +1hr

VA9548 DPS-MEL             Estimated Time Departure: 1605L  delayed +1hr                 (additional service)

VA67 SYD-DPS                  Scheduled Time Departure: 1745L

VA43 BNE-DPS                  Scheduled Time Departure: 1845L

VA59 PER-DPS                  Scheduled Time Departure: 1635L

VA40 DPS-BNE                  Scheduled Time Departure: 0020L

VA64 DPS-SYD                  Estimated Time Departure: 0415L  

VA54 DPS-MEL                  Scheduled Time Departure: 2210L

VA46 DPS-BNE                  Scheduled Time Departure: 2110L

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