It is a truth universally acknowledged that a volcano in possession of a large ash cloud must be in want of an airport to shut down.
Such is the case in Bali right now, where Mount Raung, a topographical feature with approximately zero chill, is spewing debris into the atmosphere and disrupting flights out of Denpasar Airport.
Dozens of domestic and international flights, from carriers like Virgin and Jetstar, were cancelled on Sunday, with delays expected to last into today, as the ash cloud continues to blow in an “unfavourable direction.”
A few Aussies made it home during a brief window of flights on Sunday morning, but a number of others are still caught up in the delays, including Meshel Laurie, who wrote an amusing account of the delay for the ABC, is broadcasting via her iPhone.
No seriously, thank you @JetstarAirways for your commitment to safety. #IGetIt Broadcasting live from Bali tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/z1g8bSMCgZ
— Meshel Laurie (@Meshel_Laurie) July 12, 2015
The general atmosphere in the terminal has been described as tense, with one stranded Aussie traveller, NSW Waratahs player development manager Lachlan McBain, saying shit could escalate at any moment.
“I swear it will only take one less restrained individual to start a riot,” he told the media. “It will literally only take one person to lose his cool and it will be on like Donkey Kong.”
McBain, stranded in Bali with two children, criticised Garuda Indonesia them for a lack of communication with passengers, and said that the situation in the terminal is “bedlam”, with tired anxious kids “feeding off their parents’ anxiety.”
(That does sounds like a somewhat less-than-ideal situation).
Flights returning to Australia on Monday afternoon are currently “under review”, but both Virgin and Jetstar have said that, once conditions improve, they will put on extra services to make up for the delays, possibly obtaining additional aircraft from Qantas.
via Daily Mail
Photo: Agung Parameswarma via Getty Images
Photo: Agung Parameswarma via Getty Images
