
A cloud of ash from an erupting volcano in Chile has drifted over the Atlantic and Indian oceans to lie over southern parts of New Zealand and Australia, prompting the cancellation of dozens of flights.

A week’s ago volcanic eruptions in Chile’s South have crippled the fresh-water fishing industry there and potentially threaten the cattle industry, too.

By Antonio Tajani - The challenges and opportunities in Latin America are dear to my heart. This is the first time in many years that a European Commissioner for industry heads to the region. And it is not by chance that I strongly wished to go, as this was a priority set in my new mandate.

As the volcanic ash cloud begun dissipating airlines operating from the airports of Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and the south of Brazil resumed some flights Friday afternoon but it will take several days to be back to normal as companies reprogram backlogs.

The impact of the volcanic ash is straining the Falkland Islands air links with the United Kingdom forcing the rationing of seats for northbound passengers because of the repeated cancelling of the airbridge with Brize Norton.

A top European Commission official is on a round of visits to South American countries to strengthen economic, industrial and tourism ties with the region because Latin America has emerged as “a strategic and dynamic economic player”.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) unveiled the first mock-up of a Checkpoint of the Future, designed to enhance security while reducing queues and intrusive searches at airports, using intelligence-driven risk-based measures.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced this week leadership changes at the conclusion of the Association’s 67th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Singapore.

China has built the first high-speed electrical train for Brazilian capital Rio de Janeiro in time for use during the 2014 World Cup Football and 2016 Olympic Games.

Argentina’s Civil Aviation agency (ANAC) and the Secretariat of Transport announced that the Ezeiza and Aeroparque airports are “now open and operating normally” as the ash cloud spewed by Chile’s Puyehue volcano late Tuesday seemed to be moving away from the Buenos Aires City and part of the River Plate area.