DUBAI // All Emirates Airline flights to and from Bali have been suspended until at least Monday because of a volcano eruption in Indonesia.

Denpasar airport, on the popular holiday island, was closed due to the resultant volcanic ash cloud and Emirates said it took action to cancel flights on Thursday night.

An airline statement said: “Emirates has temporarily suspended services to and from Bali due to the closure of Denpasar (DPS) airport as a result of the volcanic ash cloud.

"Emirates is constantly monitoring the situation. Passengers are advised to check emirates.com for the latest flight status. The airline apologises for any inconvenience caused."

It went on to say that flights on July 10 and 11 have been cancelled and flights to and from Bali on July 12 and 13 remain suspended, pending updates on the situation.

Etihad Airways said its flights to and from the Indonesian capital Jakarta were not affected. However, a codeshare flight was affected.

“Etihad Airways flights are not impacted by the closure of Indonesian airports due to volcanic ash. Our operations between Abu Dhabi and Jakarta continue to run as normal,” a spokeswoman said.

“Our codeshare flight with Garuda Indonesia Airline between Jakarta and Denpasar has been cancelled as a result of the volcano eruption. We are contacting our guests stranded in Jakarta and Denpasar Bali Airport, and advising them of itinerary changes. We are also providing hotel accommodation for our guests arriving into Jakarta who have connecting flights to Denpasar.”

Emirates only launched its daily service to Bali on June 3. EK398 departs Dubai at 8.20am and arrives at Bali’s Denpasar International Airport at 9.40pm on the same day. The return flight, EK399, departs Bali at 11.40pm and arrives at Dubai International Airport at 5am the next day.

In 2010, a volcanic eruption in Iceland caused widespread cancellations for the aviation industry across Europe.

dmoukhallati@thenational.ae