By Amilia Rosa and Zach Hope
Bali/Singapore: Made, a Bali taxi driver, sat forlornly on the tiles of the international arrivals terminal at Denpasar airport, his sign resting against his knees. It was almost midnight and the terminal was empty, as it had been most of the day. Still, he waited, just in case.
“I had no order all day, I’ve been here since morning – 8am,” he said. “Not a single passenger – so many flights cancelled.” Thirty incoming international flights that day, to be exact. Many from Australia.
Made, a Bali taxi driver, waiting in the empty international arrivals hall close to midnight on Wednesday.Credit: Amilia Rosa
Eruptions from Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano in East Flores and an unfavourable wind had sent ash clouds into the flight path between Australia and Bali.
It began erupting on November 3, when volcanic material was thrown up to 6km from its crater, killing 10 people including nuns at a convent that was blanketed by volcanic debris.
The airlines had no answers on Wednesday. Australians stuck in Bali had to find a hotel or get comfortable at the airport, hoping the situation would improve by Thursday.
Passengers look for flight information after being stranded at the airport in Bali.Credit: AP
“They can’t tell me when I can fly home. I have no accommodation, nothing. I don’t know what to do. I just don’t know,” Australian woman Brigitta said at the airport. “I am down to my last $30. I can’t book another flight and I can’t afford to go to a different hotel. I tried calling the last hotel I stayed, but they are full.”
She was sitting with a dozen or so European travellers whose flight to Doha was delayed until 4am. Brigitta was trying to get to Adelaide. “I will have to wait here,” she said. “I am supposed to start work tomorrow. I’m a shop worker.”
Airlines had made plans for several days of disruptions, but there was good news in the morning. Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar would resume services on Thursday.
“We appreciate the changing situation is frustrating, and we thank customers for their understanding and patience,” Qantas said in a statement, adding the situation was still “evolving”.
Airlines were scrambling recovery flights to clear the backlog of passengers stranded in Bali. But how long this would take and who would get priority remained unclear. Virgin said it would attempt to get everyone home in “coming days”.
Customers affected by cancellations were being contacted directly, AAP reported.
Qantas passengers with flights booked up to November 22 can access free refunds, travel credits or date changes.
“We appreciate that some customers may not wish to travel on flights to and from Bali,” the airline told AAP.
Australian Michelle Jeanes at Bali airport.Credit: Amilia Rosa
While most Australian flights to Bali were cancelled on Wednesday, some people still managed to find a way. Michelle Jeanes, from Melbourne, got her Jetstar flight refunded and rebooked with Indonesian airline Garuda.
“I think Garuda was the only flight that flew out of Sydney and Australia and Melbourne [on Wednesday],” she said from Bali, rapt that she had somehow made it. “I know Garuda pretty much always goes. So I booked while I was still sitting on Jetstar’s plane. And what a great decision that was. But I must go, darling, my driver’s out there waiting.”
We took Made’s taxi home.
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