Flights Canceled, Russian Volcano - Russian volcanoes have caused low visibility as it spewed ash over the weekend, causing Alaska Airlines to cancel several flights.
"We canceled two roundtrip flights between Anchorage and Bethel, and Anchorage and Nome after an advisory of low visibility," said Alaska Airlines Spokeswoman Halley Knigge of the flights canceled over Russian volcano.
According to the Associated Press, Knigge also told KTUU-TV that two flights between Anchorage and Nome, which are located on the far western edge of the state, have been canceled Saturday.
Knigge said in an email that their company's policy prohibits flying through areas of known ash, which is why the weekend flights were canceled over Russian volcano ash.
Jeff Freymueller, a scientist from the Alaska Volcano Observatory said three volcanoes are erupting on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.
The observatory has collected data suggesting that a quick burst of ash from the Russian volcano Shiveluch over the Bering Sea made it the reason behind the flights canceled Saturday.
The Russian volcano which caused flight cancellations reportedly erupted Friday. The ash it spewed into the atmosphere reached some 30,000 feet. Winds then blew the ash cloud across the Bering Sea and into western Alaska, according to Freymueller.
Flights canceled because of Russian volcano Shiveluch has already happened before as the volcano has been erupting consistently. There was a similar incident in January of flights canceled after Russian volcano ash, said Freymueller.
As a result of the volcano's ash, Alaska Airlines will be operate flights only when it's safe to do so. They will not fly into areas of reported ash, according to CNN.
The company had reportedly been uncertain whether additional flights would be cancelled. However, they assured they are monitoring the situation that caused the flights over Russian volcano.
The three volcanoes erupting on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula are Shiveluch, Klyuchevskoy and Karymsky.
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