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Popocatepetl volcano causes Mexico flight chaos | Popocatepetl volcano causes Mexico flight chaos |
(about 2 hours later) | |
US airlines have cancelled dozens of flights into Mexico City over fears that ash from a rumbling volcano would affect their planes. | US airlines have cancelled dozens of flights into Mexico City over fears that ash from a rumbling volcano would affect their planes. |
Delta and American were among the airlines cancelling more than 40 flights into the capital on Thursday. | Delta and American were among the airlines cancelling more than 40 flights into the capital on Thursday. |
Popocatepetl volcano has been rumbling all year, and began spewing ash and steam earlier in the week. | Popocatepetl volcano has been rumbling all year, and began spewing ash and steam earlier in the week. |
Airport authorities insisted there was no danger, and the US airlines said they had resumed flights on Friday. | |
An unnamed airport spokesman told AFP news agency: "There is a very thin presence of ash, which does not harm operations or affect equipment." | |
US Airways, Delta, United, American and Alaska Airlines cancelled flights on Thursday before returning to their normal schedules on Friday. | |
The routes affected by the cancellations were flights to Houston, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago and Los Angeles. | The routes affected by the cancellations were flights to Houston, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago and Los Angeles. |
American said in a statement that it had taken the action as a precaution. | |
"We are closely monitoring the situation in Mexico City as volcanic ash continues to be emitted from Popocatepetl," said American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller. | |
Mexican airlines continued to fly into the airport as scheduled. | |
The authorities have established a 7 mile (11 km) no-go zone around the volcano, which lies 40 miles south-east of the airport. | |
Popocatepetl has been spewing ash and a fountain of hot rock since May, and the alert level is currently set one notch below evacuation level. | |
Several tremors were reported around the volcano on Thursday, but officials said they had no immediate plans to raise the alert level. | Several tremors were reported around the volcano on Thursday, but officials said they had no immediate plans to raise the alert level. |