Indonesia reopens Bali airport after two-day closure
Favourable winds blew an ash cloud from Mount Rinjani, away from Ngurah Rai International Airport
 "Indonesia reopens Bali airport after two-day closure")
Bali airport reopened today, an official said, after ash erupting from a nearby volcano forced Indonesian authorities to close the terminal for two days, grounding hundreds of flights.
Favourable winds blew an ash cloud from Mount Rinjani, an active volcano on nearby Lombok island, away from Ngurah Rai International Airport, clearing the skies above Bali for the first time in days.
"The airport reopened at 2:30pm (1200IST) Bali time," airport chief official Yulfriadi Gona told AFP.
"The wind is heading to the south and southwest, which means the volcanic ash is no longer heading to Bali."
The airport has been closed since late Tuesday, and officials initially ordered it remain shut until at least tomorrow morning.
But as conditions improved throughout today the national meteorological agency ruled it safe for flights to resume earlier than expected, Gona said.
Nearly 700 flights, including 320 international ones, were cancelled between Tuesday and today.
Favourable winds blew an ash cloud from Mount Rinjani, an active volcano on nearby Lombok island, away from Ngurah Rai International Airport, clearing the skies above Bali for the first time in days.
"The airport reopened at 2:30pm (1200IST) Bali time," airport chief official Yulfriadi Gona told AFP.
"The wind is heading to the south and southwest, which means the volcanic ash is no longer heading to Bali."
The airport has been closed since late Tuesday, and officials initially ordered it remain shut until at least tomorrow morning.
But as conditions improved throughout today the national meteorological agency ruled it safe for flights to resume earlier than expected, Gona said.
Nearly 700 flights, including 320 international ones, were cancelled between Tuesday and today.