Special repatriation flight takes Australians home from Bali

By FIRDIA LISNAWATI
Associated Press

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — More than a hundred Australian citizens have left the Indonesian tourist island of Bali aboard a special repatriation flight organized by the Australian government. Many Australians have been stranded on Bali because flights connecting Indonesia to Australia have been limited since the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia. The plane flew empty from Sydney to Denpasar, Bali’s capital, and took off for Darwin on Wednesday with 186 people on board, including infants and crew. Indonesia has been hit hard by the coronavirus. A recent surge has prompted new lockdown measures since July, particularly on Java, Indonesia’s most populated island, and on Bali.