Chile’s volcanic ash travels the world, upsetting flights

Having gone around the world, Chile’s volcanic ash is back home to cause problems.

Travel Insurance News - 20/06/2011

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It has taken a trip all the way around the world but volcanic ash from Chile has finally come back home to have its first damaging effects on flights in the South American country. It has been two weeks since the volcano, Puyehue-Cordon Cualle, started erupting.

Ash from the volcano went high up into the atmosphere, where powerful winds then carried it across the Pacific Ocean. On the way, the ash upset flights in Argentina.

Flights in Uruguay and southern Brazil were next to be upset. Later, the ash caused delays and cancellations to flights in and between Australia and New Zealand.

In the meantime, however, Chile had avoided almost any problems with flights. This changed on Friday, however, as ash from the volcano finally completed its trip around the globe and some flights had to be cancelled.

LAN, the Chilean airline, cancelled flights to many towns across the country’s southern regions. Flights to Punta Arenas and Puerto Montt had to be cancelled.

Since then, flights have returned to normal. Scientists in Chile say the eruptions have continued but have subsided somewhat over recent days.

For now, authorities are maintaining the threat level at ‘red alert’. On Friday, the government lowered the threat level to five, from the previous level of six.

According to Chile’s mining ministry, the eruption is producing volcanic ash at a daily rate exceeding three million cubic metres. That is a substantial reduction from the peak of the eruption, when some 30 times that level was being produced.

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