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Darwin flights to resume on Sunday as volcano plumes clear Darwin flights resume as Indonesian volcano plumes clear
(about 4 hours later)
Flights to and from Darwin will resume on Sunday after being grounded by the ash cloud from the Sangeang Api volcano. Qantas has resumed flights to and from Darwin after weather patterns cleared plumes from the Sangeang Api volcano.
Virgin flights will resume at 4.30pm Darwin time; Qantas flights are also expected to resume on Sunday afternoon. Virgin and Jetstar flights will resume at 4.30pm Darwin time and the regional carrier Airnorth is also operating.
Regional carrier Airnorth is operating and Jet Star flights are likely to resume as plumes from the volcano clear throughout the day, a Darwin international airport spokeswoman, Virginia Sanders, said. The deputy prime minister, Warren Truss, advised passengers to contact their airlines for information.
The deputy prime minister, Warren Truss, said on Sunday that Airservices Australia was continuing to monitor the situation and passengers were advised to contact their airlines for information.
All flights heading through northern Australia to overseas destinations would continue to avoid the area until this afternoon.All flights heading through northern Australia to overseas destinations would continue to avoid the area until this afternoon.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s volcanic ash advisory centre would continue to keep airlines, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Airservices Australia updated, Truss said.The Bureau of Meteorology’s volcanic ash advisory centre would continue to keep airlines, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Airservices Australia updated, Truss said.
The ash plume that may have affected flights into and out of Cairns and Townsville on Sunday had dispersed and would not affect flights. Brisbane flights also would be unaffected. The ash plume that may have affected flights into and out of Cairns and Townsville on Sunday had dispersed. Brisbane flights also were unaffected.
Decisions on whether or not flights would operate would be made by individual airlines and operators, said Truss.
Darwin was completely cut off by air on Saturday as three ash plumes billowed from the Indonesian volcano.Darwin was completely cut off by air on Saturday as three ash plumes billowed from the Indonesian volcano.
Sangeang Api, off the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, erupted continuously after an initial blast on Friday afternoon.Sangeang Api, off the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, erupted continuously after an initial blast on Friday afternoon.
The main plume affecting Australian aviation swept south-east over the west side of the Northern Territory and as far south as Alice Springs.The main plume affecting Australian aviation swept south-east over the west side of the Northern Territory and as far south as Alice Springs.
The manager of the Darwin volcanic ash advisory centre, Emile Jansons, said the plumes affecting Darwin were weakening. The manager of the Darwin volcanic ash advisory centre, Emile Jansons, said on Sunday that the plumes affecting Darwin were weakening.
"The weather pattern has changed so that it's less likely to come down and affect Australian airspace," he said."The weather pattern has changed so that it's less likely to come down and affect Australian airspace," he said.
He stressed the plumes posed no threat to the health of people on the ground and would not even be noticed by the naked eye.He stressed the plumes posed no threat to the health of people on the ground and would not even be noticed by the naked eye.
"When you're as far away as Darwin is it's really not noticeable for people," Jansons said."When you're as far away as Darwin is it's really not noticeable for people," Jansons said.
"There's no ash falling on the ground, there's no smell of sulphur as the ash is quite high up in the atmosphere."There's no ash falling on the ground, there's no smell of sulphur as the ash is quite high up in the atmosphere.
"So visibly it looks no different to the standard dry seasons we have here, which is a little bit of bushfire smoke and a bit of haze in the air.""So visibly it looks no different to the standard dry seasons we have here, which is a little bit of bushfire smoke and a bit of haze in the air."