Bali airport shut by volcanic ash fears reopened
DENPASAR, Indonesia: Bali’s International Airport opened for business on Wednesday after a nearly three-day shutdown, as towering columns of volcanic ash and smoke shifted direction on the Indonesian resort island.
The move raised hope for some of the more than 120,000 tourists stranded after a surge in activity at Mount Agung had grounded hundreds of flights since Monday, sparking travel chaos and forcing the evacuation of villagers living in its shadow.
Airport officials cautioned that the airport could shut again if winds change direction once more and endanger flights. Ash is dangerous for planes as it makes runways slippery and can be sucked into their engines.
“We are going to constantly monitor the situation on the ground,” Ngurah Rai airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim said. Domestic would start carrier Garuda said it flights to several cities across the vast archipelago nation on Wednesday evening, while AirAsia was set to fly to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
All other international flights were on standby. Australian tourist Ebra Syllivan was overjoyed at the prospect of getting back home.
“I didn’t know it was going to reopen today — we just came here because our flight was (originally scheduled for) tonight and we’ve booked out of our motel,” she said at the airport.