Five airports in Indonesia have been shut, including those in the tourist hotspot Bali, because of a volcanic eruption, transport officials say.

Mount Raung in East Java has been spewing ash into the air for nearly a week, raising concerns it could interfere with aircraft safety. For a second day, many flights between Bali and Australia have been cancelled, stranding travellers.

Jetstar and Virgin Australia have cancelled flights out of Bali’s Denpasar airport. A spokesperson for state airport operator Angkasa Pura told BBC Indonesian that Denpasar would be closed until at least 21:30 local time (13:30 GMT).

However, Indonesian transport ministry official JA Barata said the re-opening of the airports would be based on the activity on Mount Raung, which is about 120km (75 miles) from Denpasar airport.

The four other affected airports are the International Airport in Lombok, Selaparang Airport also in Lombok, Blimbingsari Airport in Banyuwangi, East Java and Notohadinegoro Airport in Jember, East Java.

Scores of flights have been postponed indefinitely or cancelled by airlines. This volcano has been erupting for about a week and it’s been streaming ash constantly. It’s not an explosive eruption, just a constant stream and because the summit is so high it doesn’t take much ash to interfere with flights.
The most dangerous aspect for aviation is that modern jet engines pull in so much air and the ash concentrates in engines and turns into a kind of molten glass. The ash melts, coats inside of the engine and affects fuel flow, so in the worst case scenario it can cause engines to shut off.

FULL STORY : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33473679