MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Montevideo and Buenos Aires flights cancelled as ash cloud remains over the area

The volcanic ash cloud should cover the whole of Uruguay late evening

Flights from Uruguay’s main international airport Carrasco and from Buenos Aires busiest air terminals have been cancelled Thursday until further notice because of the volcanic ash cloud which again is hovering over the River Plate as winds have changed.

Laura Vanoli, head of Uruguay’s Aeronautical Meteorology Office said the cloud with ashes from the Chilean Puyeue volcano that has been around north Patagonia, central Argentina and the fringes of Uruguay is moving at a height of 12.000 metres and still remains a hazard for aircraft.

“The density of the cloud has diminished but in a clear sky can be noticed. We are in permanent coordination with Buenos Aires where the region’s main aviation meteorological office for the region is located”, said Vanoli.

Residue from the cloud: ash and a fine sandy dust have also been detected in patches at Carrasco’s international airport in Montevideo and on some of the buildings and hangars of the air terminal.

At current conditions the cloud is forecasted to cover most of Uruguay by 21:00 hours Thursday before moving on. The last flight to reach Montevideo was at 04:20 early morning and it was reported that passengers with flights booked for Thursday morning are stranded in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In Buenos Aires, Argentine airlines operating from Argentina have also cancelled all Thursday flights until further notice. The decision refers mainly to the international air terminal of Ezeiza and the domestic metropolitan airport Aeroparque located next to the Argentine capital’s sea promenade.

Originally airlines cancelled flights until 14:00 hours Thursday, but have now extended to the rest of the day, depending on the evolution of the winds that are pushing the volcanic ash cloud.

Argentina’s Secretary of Transport also reported that the airports of Bariloche, Chapelco, Esquel, Trelew, Viedma, Neuquen and Bahia Blanca in the south remain closed to air all operations.

Argentina’s National Meteorological Service said that the cloud of ashes is moving in a south-west to north-west direction and expects that as winds rotate westerly, it will enable the resumption of air operations in Buenos Aires.