Ash Cloud 3: South America hit
Just as the ash from the Icelandic Grimsvotn volcano was settling, the Chilean Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle range of volcanoes got in on the act, sending ash and debris thousands of metres into the air. The resulting ash cloud prompted the closure of airports across South America, including the suspension of flights to and from Buenos Aires and disruptions to flights in Santiago. Winds blew the ash further afield, with subsequent closure of airports in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, before the wind changed direction and affected flights in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Airlines including Virgin, Qantas, Jetstar and Tiger Airways all experienced flight cancellation or delays. Virgin Australia operated a reduced service with planes that flew below the level of the ash cloud. The impact of ash on aircraft could be significant, although some European airlines claimed recently that the impact was not as bad as the experts were claiming, complicating the situation. Siva Govindasamy, editor of Flight Global magazine, said at the time of the disruption: “The problem is that there is a lot of speculation about the actual impact of the ash. This is a big worry for the airlines, and as a result they are cancelling flights as a precautionary measure.” The US Travel Insurance Association (UStiA) took the opportunity of further flight disruption due to volcanic ash to remind travellers about the importance of taking out insurance against such events: “Most travel insurance policies provide reimbursement up to a set amount for overnight accommodation and necessities if your trip is delayed or interrupted due to airport closure, or flight cancellation because of weather-related events. If you have a connecting flight and your checked baggage is delayed beyond a specified period of time, many travel insurance policies will reimburse for necessities purchased to tide you over.”
Just as the ash from the Icelandic Grimsvotn volcano was settling, the Chilean Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle range of volcanoes got in on the act, sending ash and debris thousands of metres into the air. The resulting ash cloud prompted the closure of airports across South America, including the suspension of flights to and from Buenos Aires and disruptions to flights in Santiago. Winds blew the ash further afield, with subsequent closure of airports in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, before the wind changed direction and affected flights in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Airlines including Virgin, Qantas, Jetstar and Tiger Airways all experienced flight cancellation or delays. Virgin Australia operated a reduced service with planes that flew below the level of the ash cloud. The impact of ash on aircraft could be significant, although some European airlines claimed recently that the impact was not as bad as the experts were claiming, complicating the situation. Siva Govindasamy, editor of Flight Global magazine, said at the time of the disruption: “The problem is that there is a lot of speculation about the actual impact of the ash. This is a big worry for the airlines, and as a result they are cancelling flights as a precautionary measure.”
The US Travel Insurance Association (UStiA) took the opportunity of further flight disruption due to volcanic ash to remind travellers about the importance of taking out insurance against such events: “Most travel insurance policies provide reimbursement up to a set amount for overnight accommodation and necessities if your trip is delayed or interrupted due to airport closure, or flight cancellation because of weather-related events. If you have a connecting flight and your checked baggage is delayed beyond a specified period of time, many travel insurance policies will reimburse for necessities purchased to tide you over.”