Volcanic ash disrupts flight services in Australia

Thousands of passengers were left stranded after ash from Chile’s Puyehue volcano drifted across southern parts of Australia disrupting the flights.

Strong winds have drifted the ashes from the volcano more than half way around the world, across the Pacific into Australian and New Zealand airspace. Chile’s Puyehue volcano erupted more than a week ago.

National airlines Qantas has cancelled all the services to and from Tasmania and New Zealand for the rest of the day this morning while its Adelaide services remain grounded because of the ash cloud, according to media reports here.

Dozens of flights are delayed or cancelled because of the ash cloud, which is streaming over Adelaide and Tasmania. However, international carriers are still operating.

Virgin Australia yesterday resumed normal services in and out of Melbourne, Tasmania and New Zealand and said today it planned to operate normal scheduled services again.

About 20,000 Qantas passengers have had their flights disrupted, with 15,000 yet to reach their destination. More than 50,000 people in total were caught up in the travel chaos.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority yesterday said it had no issue with airlines continuing operations provided they avoid the areas of forecast volcanic ash and any actual areas of ash.

Tiger Airways said its flights between Melbourne and Adelaide had been cancelled as had flights from Avalon Airport and Perth. About 7,000 Tiger passengers were affected, a spokeswoman said.

Air New Zealand said it had not cancelled any flights, but its planes were flying at a lower altitude to avoid the plume.

Mr Rob Walker from Airservices Australia said Adelaide was the main airport being affected today. “It looks like Qantas, Jetstar and Tiger have cancelled their flights into and out of Adelaide this morning,” he said.

“Virgin has made the decision that they are happy to fly and Melbourne that was impacted yesterday is obviously open for business this morning,” he added.

Mr Walker said another plume about 1,200 kilometres in diameter and located 4,000 km west of Perth was also being closely monitored.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, Mr Angeline Prasad, said the ash cloud was moving from west to east, however winds over the mainland were blowing parts of the plume westerly over Adelaide.

Mr Prasad, based at the bureau’s Darwin’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, said although the ash was diffusing it was difficult to say when it would cease to be a hazard for flights.