Some Australians stranded in Bali have begun heading home after Jetstar announced a "very limited number" of recovery flights to run during Friday's safer weather conditions. 
But the wait continues for thousands of others stuck at Bali's Denpasar airport, one of Indonesia's busiest international terminals, due to the lingering volcanic ash cloud from Mount Rinjani.
The volcano's eruption, on the nearby island of Lombok, has forced airlines to ground flights since Tuesday.
In an update on Friday, Jetstar said it would operate three recovery flights from Bali to Australia - one from Bali to Melbourne and two from Bali to Perth -  due to better-than-expected conditions.
"This is the first step to get our passengers moving again," the airline said.
"We will continue to scheduled additional services to enable customers to travel to or from Bali when it is safe to do so."
Jetstar said the recovery flights hinged on favourable conditions continuing.
A decision has not yet been made about Jetstar's scheduled Saturday flights.
Travellers flying with Virgin Australia remain grounded, after the airline announced that Saturday's forecast conditions were deemed unsafe for flying, cancelling six of 14 flights.
"As a result of the latest advice from our team of meteorologists, senior pilots and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, Virgin Australia has determined that conditions in the vicinity of Denpasar Airport remain unsafe for flying," a statement said.
"Mount Rinjani continues to erupt and wind conditions remain unfavourable."
Virgin Australia cancelled all 12 of its flights to and from Bali on Friday, saying its meteorologists had deemed conditions unsafe for flying. 
AirAsia has resumed some of its domestic flights to and from Bali after Ngurah Rai International Airport opened ahead of schedule at 5.30pm AEST on Thursday.
Its flights between Malaysia and Indonesia were also scheduled to fly.
An AirAsia spokesman said there was no update on the airline's Australian destinations.
AirAsia on Thursday cancelled two flights between Sydney and Bali.
It follows similar problems in   July when a volcanic ash cloud from an erupting Mount Raung in East Java shut down flights in and out of Bali.