By . Daniel Mills for Daily Mail Australia . Qantas has been forced to re-route international flights out of Sydney as a volcanic eruption spews ash into the air over Papua New Guinea. The giant ash cloud which is affecting some flights to and from Australia, could also force residents from Rabaul - the town nearest to the Tavurvur volcano which began erupting at 3.30am on Friday morning. Pictures and satellite imagery shows the plume has now reached up to a height of about 18 kilometres, indicating a significant eruption. Scroll down for video . The plume from the volcano has reached a height of 18km . International flights to Asia have been re-routed around Papua New Guinea . Residents could be forced to flee Rabaul as the ash falls over the burnt-out town . The volcano erupted on New Britain Island north east of the PNG mainland . The Bureau of meteorology issued an advisory to airlines indicating where the cloud is likely to spread. Qantas has confirmed it is re-routing flights to and from Sydney and Tokyo and out of Shanghai to Sydney to avoid the cloud. The airline has confirmed flight numbers QF21 and QF22, which operate between Sydney and Tokyo, and QF130 from Shanghai to Sydney will be  re-routed. A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the re-routing the of flights would add an additional 10 minutes of flight time to the journeys. Commercial flights  typically cruise at altitudes of between nine and 12 kilometres and a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman told Fairfax Media 'The initial low-level ash is moving northwards.' 'But as it gets a bit higher it's likely to spread out both to the north and south along the western side of the volcano," Craig Earl-Spur said. Virgin Australia said it will monitor the cloud but had no flights scheduled to fly into the ash zone. PNG media reported that some residents were considering evacuating Rabaul - which was wiped out in 1994 when the same volcano erupted. The Vulcan and Tavurvur volcanoes forced locals to abandon the city temporarily. The Rabaul caldera at the north-east end of New Britain, PNG, has a history of regular low-level eruptions. The Tavurvur volcano experienced eruptive activity in early March that generated ash plumes up to one kilometre high. A meteorologist at the bureau's Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre said the The bureau will continue to monitor the plume as it dissipates. The Bureau of Meteorology issued the warning on Friday morning after the volcano erupted at 3.30am . The town of Rabaul was completely wiped out in 1994 when two volcanoes erupted . Tweets from various residents on East Britain Island show the ferocity of the volcano spewing in to the air .
A volcano has erupted on PNG's East Britain Island near Rabaul .
Qantas has confirmed it is re-routing flights to Asia around the ash cloud .
A spokesperson said it will only add 10 minutes of additional flight time .
Meanwhile PNG residents could be forced to evacuate the volcano zone .
The same volcano wiped out nearby city Rabaul in 1994 when it erupted .
By . Daniel Mills for Daily Mail Australia . Qantas has been forced to re-route international flights out of Sydney as a volcanic eruption spews ash into the air over Papua New Guinea. The giant ash cloud which is affecting some flights to and from Australia, could also force residents from Rabaul - the town nearest to the Tavurvur volcano which began erupting at 3.30am on Friday morning. Pictures and satellite imagery shows the plume has now reached up to a height of about 18 kilometres, indicating a significant eruption. Scroll down for video . The plume from the volcano has reached a height of 18km . International flights to Asia have been re-routed around Papua New Guinea . Residents could be forced to flee Rabaul as the ash falls over the burnt-out town . The volcano erupted on New Britain Island north east of the PNG mainland . The Bureau of meteorology issued an advisory to airlines indicating where the cloud is likely to spread. Qantas has confirmed it is re-routing flights to and from Sydney and Tokyo and out of Shanghai to Sydney to avoid the cloud. The airline has confirmed flight numbers QF21 and QF22, which operate between Sydney and Tokyo, and QF130 from Shanghai to Sydney will be  re-routed. A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the re-routing the of flights would add an additional 10 minutes of flight time to the journeys. Commercial flights  typically cruise at altitudes of between nine and 12 kilometres and a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman told Fairfax Media 'The initial low-level ash is moving northwards.' 'But as it gets a bit higher it's likely to spread out both to the north and south along the western side of the volcano," Craig Earl-Spur said. Virgin Australia said it will monitor the cloud but had no flights scheduled to fly into the ash zone. PNG media reported that some residents were considering evacuating Rabaul - which was wiped out in 1994 when the same volcano erupted. The Vulcan and Tavurvur volcanoes forced locals to abandon the city temporarily. The Rabaul caldera at the north-east end of New Britain, PNG, has a history of regular low-level eruptions. The Tavurvur volcano experienced eruptive activity in early March that generated ash plumes up to one kilometre high. A meteorologist at the bureau's Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre said the The bureau will continue to monitor the plume as it dissipates. The Bureau of Meteorology issued the warning on Friday morning after the volcano erupted at 3.30am . The town of Rabaul was completely wiped out in 1994 when two volcanoes erupted . Tweets from various residents on East Britain Island show the ferocity of the volcano spewing in to the air .
International flights to Asia have been re-routed around Papua New Guinea . Residents could be forced to flee Rabaul as the ash falls over the burnt-out town . The volcano erupted on New spread. Qantas has confirmed it is re-routing additional 10 minutes of flight time to the Earl-Spur said. Virgin Australia said it will - which was wiped out in 1994 when the same residents on East Britain Island show the