Alaska Airlines cancels 41 flights over volcanic ash

[Midnight Mike]

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Alaska Airlines canceled 41 flights by early Monday because of a towering plume of ash created by the eruption of a volcano last week, the airline said.

The cancellations began Sunday evening and affected flights between Alaska and Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, British Colombia, the airline said in a statement.

The ash cloud was created by the eruption of Kasatochi volcano in the Aleutian Islands on Thursday.

"If there's an ash plume in the way, we won't fly," Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Caroline Boren told the Anchorage Daily News.


http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsN ... 811?rpc=44

[cancidas]

ash has some pretty nasty effects on airplanes. it can literally ruin an engine. definately something i don't want to come across.

[PhilDernerJr]

I was listening to an FAA conference call yesterday and they were talking about it. Sounds pretty fierce!

[Lezam]

I hope this doesn't keep up, im flying on them in a few days.