Alaska Airlines Cancels Flights Due To Volcanic Ash Cloud

The latest news from the eruption of Pavlof Volcano in Alaska, Alaska Airlines announces to cancel more flights due to massive volcanic ash cloud.

Boeing 737-900ER of Alaska Airlines

4 p.m. (local time)

Alaska Airlines says it has canceled more flights due to a huge cloud of volcanic ash from Alaska Pavlof volcano threw in the air. The passenger plane based in Seattle said Monday afternoon has been canceled 41 flights involving six cities in Alaska until the airline can evaluate weather reports after dawn Tuesday. Cancellations include all flights to and from Fairbanks. The airline said it canceled flights affected 3,300 passengers. Flights to Barrow, Bethel, Kotzebue, Nome and Dea also canceled. The airline will resume its 54 scheduled flights on Tuesday if conditions improve. Pavlof volcano, one of Alaska's most active, is 625 miles southwest of Anchorage, on the Alaska Peninsula. The volcano erupted Sunday afternoon and Monday morning an ash cloud had stretched northeast to more than 400 miles inland Alaska.

3 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a weather bulletin warning Alaska residents living in the region of Pavlof Volcano ash can fall into their communities if the wind direction changes as expected. The bullet was in force until Monday night early to Cold Bay, Sand Point and Nelson Lagoon. The communities are north and east of Pavlof Volcano, which erupted on Sunday and continued sending ash into the air on Monday. The weather service says that communities could see an accumulation of less than a tenth of an inch of ash. Volcanic ash is angular and sharp and can damage the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. The ash can also damage electronic devices and vehicle engines.

12 p.m.

Alaska Airlines says it has canceled 20 flights because of the volcanic ash put on the air by the volcano Pavlof Alaska. Spokeswoman Bobbie Egan says the canceled flights affected about 1,300 customers on their way to rural communities, including Alaska Bethel, Kotzebue, Nome, Barrow and Dea. No flights to Anchorage or Fairbanks have been canceled so far, but Egan says the company is closely following the Fairbanks route. Pavlof volcano, one of Alaska's most active, is 625 miles southwest of Anchorage, on the Alaska Peninsula.