The eruption of a volcano in Chile's southern Andes disrupted
international travel Friday as flights were canceled or delayed in
three South American capital cities.
American Airlines, Delta, and Chilean airline LAN canceled
flights to Santiago from the U.S., while a number of other flights
were delayed due to ash and smoke that traveled hundreds of miles
north to the Chilean capital after being shot into the air by the
Calbuco Volcano. The ash can affect visibility and also damage
airplanes.
In Argentina, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air France,
Delta and Air Canada canceled international flights to Buenos
Aires' Ezeiza airport, while airports in the towns of Bariloche,
near Chile's southern border, and Neuquén were closed.
"There is a possibility that there will be a flight to Miami
tonight, but it depends on what happens with the ashes," an
American Airlines employee in Buenos Aires said Friday. "But I
think it's very likely that the flight will also be canceled."
The eruption also affected travel in Uruguay as American
Airlines and Air France canceled flights in Montevideo.
"Our flights from Toronto to Santiago have not been affected.
However, the same flight goes on to Buenos Aires, then returns to
Santiago before going back to Toronto. As a result of the ash, we
have cancelled that second leg within South America yesterday and
today. We are monitoring to determine if it will operate tomorrow,"
said Peter Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for Air Canada.
Stella Poma, a geologist at the University of Buenos Aires, said
it was common for winds to push ashes from volcanoes on the Chilean
side of the Andes into Argentina.
"The ashes are already in Buenos Aires. You can look up in the
sky and see a grayish, cloud-like area. That is the ash interfering
with the sun rays," she said. "The ashes are very corrosive and can
be damaging to planes."
Ms. Poma said the ash cloud was likely floating between 6 miles
to 12 miles above Buenos Aires, and that it could remain there for
days. She said winds could easily push the ashes farther east of
Uruguay's capital to the coastal city of Punta del Este.
The Calbuco Volcano erupted Wednesday for the first time in more
than 40 years, leading the Chilean government to declare a red
alert in the Los Lagos region, a popular tourist destination. A red
alert lets the government implement emergency measures. A 12-mile
security perimeter was set up around the volcano.
Calbuco erupted again early Thursday, shooting a column of smoke
and ash some 7 miles into the air, resulting in the closure of
schools and the local airport in the nearby cities of Puerto Montt
and Puerto Varas,
The airport in Puerto Montt--620 miles south of Santiago--was
operating Friday as winds had blown the volcanic ash away.
President Michelle Bachelet, who has dealt with a number of
natural disasters since taking office last year, traveled to the
region Thursday to survey damage and visit shelters housing some of
the 4,000 residents that were evacuated.
Calbuco is the second volcano to erupt in southern Chile in less
than two months. In early March, the Villarrica volcano spewed ash
and smoke, leading the government to declare a state of emergency
for the agriculture sector.
No major injuries or fatalities due to Calbuco's eruption have
been reported.
The National Geology and Mining Service, or Sernageomin, said
there could be more eruptions. "The volcanic system has started a
new eruption cycle.. making it highly likely that there could be
new eruptions similar to those that have occurred."
The agency says Chile has 90 active volcanoes and that Calbuco
is considered the third-most dangerous.
The Los Lagos region is a well-known tourist spot for hikers and
other outdoor enthusiasts attracted to its picturesque bright blue
lakes and snow-capped volcanoes.
The region is also an important center of Chile's salmon
fisheries, which exports the fish to the U.S., Japan, Europe and
Brazil. The general manager of industry group Salmon Chile, Felipe
Manterola, said that eight fisheries were in the area of influence
and that four were badly damaged by volcanic ash and flooding
caused by the eruption.
"This won't have a significant impact on the national supply or
production of salmon, but it will have an economic impact on the
companies that have been affected," Mr. Manterola said. He added
that several companies are moving their fish to safer areas in case
of another eruption.
--Taos Turner in Buenos Aires contributed to this article.
Write to Ryan Dube at ryan.dube@dowjones.com and Robert Kozak at
robert.kozak@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires