Bali flight backlog could take weeks to clear

(3 News)
(3 News)

Some holidaymakers have their thumbs up, and others are feeling "really worried" as flights resume to Bali after days of disruption.

At 10:28am today Air New Zealand's flight NZ245 finally took off, cleared to return to Bali after being forced back mid-flight on Sunday.

"I'm really worried that we may stop over at a different country and then turn around," says one traveller.

The flight should land in Bali at around 7pm (NZT), and it is scheduled to return to Auckland early tomorrow around 4:30am.

Thousands of weary passengers are now fighting to get out of Bali – they are broke and broken.

"We're just scared," another traveller told 3 News. "We've got children and not a lot of money, so we want to get home."

Virgin sent empty planes to the holiday island and they were filled with anxious passengers who returned home to Australia this morning.

About 40 flights in and out of Bali have been scheduled for today if conditions remain clear.

The volcano is still erupting, and forecast wind could blow ash back into the airspace.

Airlines warn it could take weeks to clear the backlog, making that mid-winter holiday expensive, stressful and tiring for thousands.

3 News