The move followed a forecast that volcanic ash could hit operations at Bali airport, about 60 km southwest of the erupting Mount Agung volcano, the airline said. Ash was visible to the southeast of Mount Agung, the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre said, with reports indicating emissions of steam and ash. But nine Jetstar flights will be cancelled after “a sudden change in today’s forecast for this evening in Bali,” Jetstar said in an update on its website. Other airlines with regular Bali flights, including Singapore Airlines Ltd, Malaysia’s AirAsia Bhd and Garuda Indonesia, have not posted updates on flight plans for Friday evening on their websites. Airlines avoid flying through volcanic ash as it can damage aircraft engines, clogging fuel and cooling systems, hampering pilot visibility and even causing engine failure.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 01, 2017 05:03 UTC