Variable wind conditions around an erupting Indonesian volcano could still threaten return flights for Australians stranded in Bali.
Virgin Australia and Jetstar are pressing on with additional flights on Wednesday to get stranded travellers home after Mt Raung erupted for a second time this month on Tuesday night.
They say flying conditions are currently safe and there's no risk to plane engines from the resulting ash cloud but also warn the situation could change quickly.
Stephanie Bond, from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, says light variable winds around the volcano, which lies about 150km west of Bali's Denpasar airport, are unpredictable.
"At the moment the ash is moving to the northwest of the volcano, away from Denpasar," she told AAP on Wednesday.
"But light and variable winds tend to change. They are not always from one constant direction and that's the problem. They could change later in the day."
Ms Bond said move favourable wind conditions were expected on Thursday.
"From Thursday the models indicate that we should see a constant direction of ash moving generally to the west, away from Denpasar."
If conditions hold, Virgin Australia plans to run eight flights on Wednesday to bring tourists back from Denpasar airport, which has been closed twice in the past week due to an ash cloud threat emanating from the first eruption on July 2.
Seven flights will also leave Australian airports for Bali on Wednesday, and they'll be used to bring more travellers home on Thursday.
Jetstar is also running flights, and hopes to bring more than 3000 passengers home on its Wednesday services.
Qantas is doing its bit to help, planning two special relief flights to supplement additional services by its subsidiary Jetstar.
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