Search

Monday 20 June 2011

Virgin flights cancelled out of Melbourne, Sydney

UPDATE: Virgin will cease all flights from Melbourne and Sydney from 4pm today due to the volcanic ash cloud and Tiger Airways has cancelled all flights for today, the airlines have announced.
Virgin spokewoman Danielle Keighery said the ash plume was considered too low for safe air travel and the airline had made the decision to cancel all flights out of both capitals from this afternoon.
A cloud of ashes billows from the Puyehue volcano in Chile. 

Volcano blows in Chile

A cloud of ashes billows from the Puyehue volcano in Chile. Photo: AFP
  • A cloud of ashes billows from the Puyehue volcano in Chile.
  • Ash from the Puyehue volcano in Chile continues to play havoc with Australian flights.
  • Ash from the Chilean volcano creates a stunning sunset in Argentina.
  • A cloud of ash from the volcano created a stunning sunset at a moutain resort in Argentina.
  • An overview of the mountain resort Villa la Angostura in Argentina blanketed with ash from the Chilean volcano chain.
  • A cloud of ashes billows from the volcano in Chile on June 15.
  • A cloud of ashes billows from the Puyehue volcano.
  • Three different satellite image flyovers from NASA's Aqua satellite show the journey of the volcanic ash from the eruption of a volcano in Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain as it travelled across the southern Pacific Ocean.
  • A true-colour image of a wide ribbon of brown volcanic ash passing over South Africa captured by NASA's Terra satellite on June 12, 2011.
  • A NASA satellite picture of the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle eruption in Chile. In the image, the ash plume from the volcano is visible in the centre.
  • This NASA Earth Observatory natural-color satellite image shows the volcano shortly after the eruption began on June 4, 2011. The brown ash plume reaches high above the clouds covering much of the scene, and casts a dark shadow towards the southeast. Along the leading edge of the plume, it appears heavier material is falling out of the ash cloud, while finer particles remain suspended in the atmosphere.
  • This NASA Earth Observatory natural-color satellite image was taken on June 6, 2011. At the time the Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) reported that the ash plume reached an altitude of 40,000 feet (12,000 meters). Puyehue volcano erupted for the first time in half a century on June 4, 2011, prompting evacuations for 3,500 people as it sent a cloud of ash that reached Argentina. The National Service of Geology and Mining said the explosion that sparked the eruption also produced a column of gas 10 kilometers (six miles) high, hours after warning of strong seismic activity in the area.
  • An ash plume from Chile, after two days of continuous emissions at the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain, as seen from space.The ash plume extends more than 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km/1181 miles), from Chile, over the coast of Argentina, and out into the Atlantic Ocean.
  • A cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano near Osorno in southern Chile, 870 km south of Santiago. Photo: AFP Photo
  • Picture taken from Rininahue village showing the cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue. Photo: AFP Photo
  • Lightning bolts strike around the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain near southern Osorno city. Photo: Reuters
  • A cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano. Photo: AFP Photo
  • Lightning is seen amid a cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano. Photo: AFP
  • The cloud of volcanic ash. Photo: AFP Photo
  • The lightning amid a cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano . Photo: AFP Photo
  • Clouds of ash. Photo: AFP
  • A helicopter flies over smoke and ash rising from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain. Photo: Reuters
  • A helicopter flies near the cloud of ash. Photo: AFP Photo
  • Locals stay in front of their home as smoke and ash rise. Photo: Reuters
A decision on flights scheduled for tomorrow morning is expected to be made later today.
Virgin has cancelled more than 170 flights as a result of the ash cloud, affecting an estimated 120,000 passengers across the country.

Earlier today, Qantas cancelled all flights out of Sydney from 3pm and added that its Melbourne flights may also be affected at some stage.

Passengers were urged to stay in touch with their airlines.
Qantas spokeswoman Olivia Wirth told Sky News this morning: "We simply don't have enough information and it will be safety before schedule."
"We don't know the density [of the cloud]. ... The Qantas group will not be flying or around the particular cloud."
"Customers are advised not travel to the airport if their flight has been cancelled. A fare waiver is in
place and full details can be accessed on qantas.com," Qantas added in a statement.
Airservices Australia says the ash cloud from Chile has returned bigger and denser than last week’s one that disrupted air travel for days and could hang around longer.

Category:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)