An Air India plane for Indonesia’s Bali was forced to turn back to Delhi on Wednesday after a volcanic explosion in the area.
The airline reports that flight AI2145 from Delhi to Bali was asked to return because of safety issues related to the volcanic eruption along the way to the destination. “Air India flight AI2145 on 18 June 2025 from Delhi to Bali was advised to air return to Delhi due to volcanic eruption reported near destination airport Bali, in the interest of safety,” Air India said in a statement.
The plane landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport, and the passengers were evacuated in safety. The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience but ensured that passengers were accommodated without delay.
“Disruption to passengers is genuinely regretted and utmost efforts have been made to reduce it by making available hotel accommodation to the affected passengers. Refund in full on cancellation or free rescheduling has also been provided to them if availed,” the official stated.
The disruption follows several flight cancellations in the region over the last several days because of rising volcanic activity. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on the island of Flores erupted on Tuesday, spewing an ash plume 10 kilometres high, the AFP reported.
Consequently, a number of airlines such as Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore-based Tigerair, and China’s Juneyao Airlines cancelled flights to Bali. Jetstar and Virgin Australia also suspended services from/to numerous Australian cities, according to Bali airport’s official website.
This event comes after a previous report by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which recorded that between June 12 and 17, Air India had cancelled 83 wide-body aircraft operations, comprising 66 Boeing 787 flights.
