Volcano closes Bali airport again

Bali's Ngurah Rai airport was closed again Sunday after reopening for less than 24 hours.

"The closure was based on Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the directorate general of air transportation, and it takes effect until at least 4 p.m.," Transportation Ministry spokesman JA Barata told reporters on Sunday.

"We will update the NOTAM on airport closures as we monitor the development and the spread of volcanic ash from Mount Raung," he added.

Thousands of holidaymakers have been stranded on the tourist islands of Bali and Lombok owing to the closures. Two other smaller airports in East Java serving domestic routes were also closed on Thursday. About 300 flights were cancelled on Friday, according to the airport authorities.

The Sunday closure has caused more flight delays and backlogs as foreign and local tourists are stranded on the resort island.

Australian carriers Jetstar and Virgin canceled some of their flights to Bali on Sunday. Australians make up a large proportion of tourists who visit the popular holiday destination.

Last month, authorities raised the alert status of Mount Raung to the second highest level after it began spewing lava and ash. The 3,332-meter (10,800-foot) volcano, located in East Java province near Bali, also erupted last year with no human casualties.

Indonesia, which is located on a belt of seismic activity known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, has some 130 active volcanoes.

shs/jlw (dpa, AFP)