Several flights cancelled after volcano erupts in New Zealand

A volcanic eruption in New Zealand has led to the cancellation of several flights on Thursday, August 22, due to the release of a column of ash, local airline Air New Zealand said. The volcano, White Island, is located about 50 kilometers off the coast of the North Island and 200 kilometers from Auckland, the country's most populous city. In 2019, an eruption killed 22 people.

Air New Zealand said Thursday morning that volcanic ash on its flight paths had forced it to cancel 10 flights. A company spokesman later told AFP that flights had resumed after the ash had dissipated in the airspace. Satellite images showed that “Minor volcanic activity” It started earlier in August, research institute GNS Science said in a status update.

The alert level has been raised.

This event is part of “Typical volcanic cycles” Known from the White Island, also called Whakaari in Maori, and This activity may continue for some time, weeks or even months.The institute warned. Experts said residents of the country's main islands could breathe in volcanic gases and suffer mild eye and throat irritation. New Zealand raised the volcano alert level to level three on a scale of five earlier in August.

Access to White Island has been closed since the deadly volcanic eruption in 2019, a measure that also affects the work of specialists, preventing them from carrying out repairs to monitoring systems, and making “It is difficult to place the current activity in the context of past volcanic events.”According to volcanologist Simon Parker of Victoria University of Wellington.

Experts say volcanic ash damages aircraft engines. “Ash in volcanic plumes is a hazard to aircraft because it is attracted to their engines, can clog fuel lines, stick to engine surfaces and corrode parts.” For the device, explains volcanologist Adrian Petari of the University of Waikato. “It can also interfere with electrical and computer systems, creep into the cabin and reduce visibility.”He adds.