KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians stranded in Bali following the eruption of Mount Agung are not holding their breath that they will be able to leave soon.
Many felt that flights in and out of Ngurah Rai International Airport would remain grounded for now, and that it would take time for the situation to return to normal.
The closure of the airport was extended for another 24 hours yesterday.
Eric Tang, a Malaysian tourist, said he received an email from AirAsia last night informing him of his flight's cancellation.
“I was also notified that my flight was rescheduled to Nov 30 but due to the circumstances, I think it will be cancelled as well.
“The airport has been closed since yesterday and no flights are available.
“Apart from the delayed flights, everything here is under control and the staff are well trained to handle this kind of situation,” he told the New Straits Times today.
Tang added that one of the options to leave was by taking a boat or ferry to Surabaya and then flying to Kuala Lumpur from there.
“I received this information from the hotel staff and they told me that the journey to Surabaya would take up to 14 hours.
“I am no longer staying at the airport as it is inconvenient for my family,” he said adding that he was in Bali for a family vacation.
He said the local authorities had taken precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the people in Bali and are regularly informing all travellers on any updates.
Meanwhile, Cuzario David, who has been in Bali since Saturday, said he hoped the sky would clear up soon for the airlines to resume operations.
“It has been raining here since yesterday, which worries me.
“I am travelling with my family and we are supposed to leave tomorrow morning but I have yet to receive any updates on flight cancellations from our airline,” he said.
Cuzario was told by a friend who was stuck at the airport that airline would only issue the flight status upon check-in.
“I think by then it would be a little too late because time and money will be wasted.
“I will be talking with the airline's support team on social media to get updates from their side soon. So far, they have been efficient in providing help to stranded travelers here,” he added.
Indonesia's transportation ministry announced this morning that the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali would be closed for another day due to ash from the eruption of Mount Agung.
Additional reporting by QISTINA ATIKAH