A huge cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland left millions of air travellers stranded. (AFP Photo)
Denpasar. Hundreds of foreign nationals scheduled to fly back to Europe have as of Saturday remained stranded in Bali because of the lockdown of much of European airspace due to the ash cloud from Iceland.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has canceled its only flight from Denpasar to destinations in Europe, via Singapore.
Officials have notified passengers of the cancellation, thus preventing lines from forming at Ngurah Rai.
On its Web site, www.klm.com, the airline said the departure of any intercontinental flight headed to Amsterdam Schipol Airport on April 17 would only be confirmed within four hours prior to the scheduled takeoff. All intercontinental KLM flights out of Amsterdam will only be confirmed within a 15-hour window prior to the scheduled departure.
Qatar Airlines, though not canceling its Denpasar —Singapore—Doha flights, is advising all its passengers in Bali to remain on the island for the time being, because of the number of Europe-bound passengers building up at Doha over the past two days. As of Saturday, the airline has flown only two planes to Europe: to Moscow and to Fiumicino in Italy.
Alex Pudjianto, PR manager for Ngurah Rai operator PT Angkasa Pura I, said all flights from Denpasar to Asian destinations were unaffected by the situation in Europe.
“We’re not going to deny that there are passengers who have been forced to delay their trips to Europe indefinitely, but that’s not our concern,” he said.
Fresh eruptions thrust new torrents of molten rock through the shattered ice sheets in the mountain crater, spewing a towering wall of ash, dust and steam high into the air. (Photo: SIGURSTEINN BALDURSSON - telegraph.co.uk)
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