Volcanic ash shifts direction, Bali airport operational again

After going through much disruption and destruction, Bali airport is once again functional. The international airport reopened on Wednesday around at 2.28 pm in the afternoon, almost after three days of being totally shut. But now that the ash created by Mount Agung volcanic eruption has shifted directions, the international airport is back to normal.
The authorities, however, will keep their eyes open in case any emergency situation arises. The reopening has also given hope to the stranded tourists as all the flights were cancelled. Commenting on the situation, Bambang Hargiyono, head of the weather agency at Bali airport, said that winds have started moving from north to south, which is shifting the ash toward the neighbouring island of Lombok. He also mentioned that it was expected that the wind will shift toward the southeast "for the next three days". This will let the flights to operate in a proper manner.

However, if the winds change their direction, things can go berserk once again and ash might once again pose a great risk to flights. The volcanic ash is extremely dangerous for airplanes as the engine might suck the tiny particles and get jammed. Moreover, the ash also makes runways a lot more slippery, causing difficulty in take off.

To help ease the situation, myriad airlines such as Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Qantas are now planning to operate additional flights to help passengers who are still stuck in Bali. Scoot, a low-cost carrier, in a Facebook update mentioned that it will start operating flights to and from Denpasar from Thursday (to help stranded tourists). Moreover, Jetstar Airways and Qantas too have come up with a plan. These two airlines already have 10 scheduled flights to help and they are also planning additional six relief flights for those flying to Australia.

Nearly everyone has left their homes living close to Mount Agung. The last time volcanic eruption happened was in 1963, wherein about 1,600 people were killed. But now with the airport operational, things are looking hopeful.