Volcano experts told 9News while the eruptions from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki appeared to have decreased and and lessened in intensity, it could still erupt again, possibly next week, sparking more travel chaos.
As a result of the towering columns of hot ash cloud, which poses a safety issue for planes, Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia and AirAsia have grounded flights to and from Denpasar Airport.
Some carriers are offering refunds to passengers, while others are rescheduling flights.
Jetstar announced flights had been cancelled until at least midday tomorrow, saying on its website that it was “currently not safe” to operate the route.
“Impacted customers will be notified directly and will be provided with a range of options,” they said.
In an indication that the airline expects ongoing disruption, customers booked between now and Sunday can rebook or cancel flights.
Jetstar said it was planning to put on extra flights using bigger planes at some point, to clear the backlog of Aussies stuck on the holiday island.
The travel chaos follows a huge eruption last week, which killed 10 people and forced the evacuation of 15,000 residents.
Virgin Australia says as well as cancelling 10 flights today, it has decided to delay tomorrow’s flights to and from the island.
Affected passengers will be contacted by the airline.
Passengers due to travel between now and Saturday can also rebook for a later date within the next two weeks, or get a refund.
“The safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority,” Virgin Australia said in a statement.
AirAsia cancelled four flights between Perth and Bali today but rescheduled one Perth to Bali service for tomorrow.
One return service between Cairns and Bali was cancelled today, with the airline describing the weather event as a “fluid” situation.
“Affected guests have been notified via email and SMS and provided with recovery options including free flight change within 30 days, or full credit account with two years validity or a full refund,” the airline said online.
Three Qantas flights between Sydney and Bali are delayed for 24 hours, until tomorrow evening.
Several other airlines that don’t fly the route between Bali and Australia have also cancelled flights in and out of Indonesia, including Air New Zealand.
Until the dangerous cloud disappears, passengers remain in limbo, with airlines advising travellers to check their flight status online before arriving at the airport.
Meteorologists are continuing to monitor the situation.
A spokeswoman from the Insurance Council of Australia said passengers should contact their travel insurance provider to see if they can make a claim.
“If travel insurance was purchased before travel and before the volcanic event occurred, the policy covers this kind of event, and there was a financial loss, then the customer will be able to make a claim, ” a spokeswoman said.
“Any policy purchased after the eruption is unlikely to cover financial losses arising from the event.”
