22 Jul 2015

Eruption delays Bali flights - again

6:54 pm on 22 July 2015

Continued volcanic ash near Bali's Depensar Airport has delayed Air New Zealand flights to and from Auckland.

Mount Raung emits a column of ash and steam on 12 July 2015.

Mount Raung emits a column of ash and steam on 12 July 2015. Photo: AFP

An airline spokesperson says flight NZ425 was now likely to leave Auckland at 8am tomorrow, arriving in Bali at 1.30pm.

The late arrival of the incoming aircraft also meant the return NZ246 flight from Bali to Auckland was delayed.

Passengers affected have been advised to regularly check the Air New Zealand website for updates.

Passengers crowd the international terminal at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar waiting for information of flight delays due to volcanic ash.

Stranded passengers crowd Denpasar Airport's international terminal on 10 July 2015. Photo: AFP

The ash cloud from Mount Raung also triggered Virgin Australia to again cancel all flights in and out of Denpasar Airport.

A Jetstar flight to Bali was also forced to turn back to Melbourne.

Earlier in July, the eruption of Mount Raung created a choking ash cloud that drifted over the resort island, forcing the closure of the airport for a time.

Virgin Australia and Jetstar added extra flights to help those passengers get home, and Qantas aircraft were also used to return stranded travellers.