Tourists escape Bali as ash threat remains

Air New Zealand flight NZ246 arrived in Auckland this morning after leaving Denpasar, Bali. Photo / Brendon O'Hagan

Major airlines have resumed flights after clouds of gritty ash billowing from an Indonesian volcano scuppered travel plans for thousands of passengers.

Air New Zealand flight NZ246 arrived in Auckland this morning after leaving Denpasar, Bali.
Virgin and Jetstar have also resumed flights from the island.

Bali's airport at Denpasar was closed for days as clouds of gritty ash - potentially hazardous to airline jet engines - spewed from Mount Ruang in eastern Java as it erupted on July 2.

Jetstar resumed services yesterday, flying stranded passengers out of Bali as the safety threat from the ash cloud abated.

The airline's chief executive David Hall told ABC Australia two 300-seat planes were sent to Bali.

"It's a day-by-day proposition but as soon as the skies are clear, we're mobilising as much capacity as we can to get customers home," he said.