Volcanic eruption at Sangeang Api in Indonesia keeps Darwin flights grounded (ABC)

View Comments ABC A plume of ash rises from the Sangeang Api volcano, off the north-east coast of Sumbawa.

Flights in and out of Darwin airport will remain grounded until at least Sunday morning because of a volcanic eruption in Indonesia.

The Sangeang Api volcano, located off the north-east coast of Sumbawa, has been erupting since Friday night.

The Bureau of Meteorology says it has caused a volcanic ash cloud that is moving in a south-easterly direction, affecting the Kimberley and Top End.

Passengers were stranded in Darwin on Saturday, with both international and domestic flights cancelled.

In Perth, airline passengers hoping to travel to Bali were also hit with flight cancellations.

Jetstar says it will decide just before 2:00am if its first flight scheduled to land in Darwin at 7:40am will go ahead.

A spokesperson for Qantas confirmed the first Sunday flight scheduled into Darwin is expected to land just before 1:00pm.

In a statement on their website, Qantas says they are closely monitoring weather conditions and will release updates as they become available.

A spokesperson for Darwin Airport says at this stage all domestic Virgin flights have been cancelled with flights in parts of WA also affected.

Virgin Australia released a travel alert saying they will recommence normal operations as soon as the volcanic ash safely allows it.

"Our team of meteorologists are continuing to monitor the situation, in consultation with the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin," the alert said.

Regional airline Air North is advising customers to check with the airline.

Volcano unleashes three ash plumes

Federal Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss said in a statement that the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre has been monitoring three ash plumes, the first of which has made its way over central Australia.

Mr Truss said that ash cloud was "dissipating quickly" and was not expected to reach far into Queensland or disrupt flights to and from Brisbane.

The second ash cloud was about 45,000 feet above Darwin and the third was north-east of Bali, the statement said on Saturday afternoon.

Virginia Sanders from Darwin International Airport says it is not yet known when flights will resume, but similar events in the past have been a "24-hour type event".

Traveller Jarrod Bowditch at Darwin Domestic Airport says he is trying to get to Broome for a friend's wedding.

"The wedding isn't until next weekend but the bucks starts tomorrow, so hopefully we get there in time," he said.

The first recorded eruption of Mount Sengeang Api was in 1512, with several eruptions recorded in the 1990s and only weak steam plumes in the last few years.

The island is now largely uninhabited, but it is still used by locals for farming.

It is understood more than 200 families who work on the island's plantations have been evacuated following Friday's eruption.

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