Chile volcano ash causes renewed air chaos in Australia
Following last years delays due to the Icelandic volcano eruptions and resulting ash clouds that caused thousands of flight delays to be cancelled and delayed, now due to volcanic activity in Chile, delays are once again afoot.
Customers who are contemplating shipping to Australia by air should be aware of current potential delays.
Australia’s two major airports are facing up to 48 hours of disruption as the ash cloud from a
Chilean volcano drifts across the south of the country.
Qantas and Virgin have cancelled all flights into and out of Sydney and Melbourne. Adelaide airport has
been shut and Canberra flights also hit.
Last week, tens of thousands of people were stranded as airlines grounded flights, and now the ash has returned.
The plume is said to be too low this time for airlines to fly under it.
The ash cloud from Chile’s Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano is circling the Earth for a second time.
Last week, some airlines, such as Virgin Australia, flew below and around the ash cloud, but this time they
have been advised against doing so.
The ash cloud is reported to be hovering at between 20,000 and 40,000 ft (6-13km).
More than 120,000 air passengers are expected to face travel disruption.
Qantas said its policy was not to fly below the ash cloud, because it brought risks that it was simply not prepared to take.
“We estimate that we will be cancelling in excess of 200 flights on Wednesday,” Qantas spokeswoman
Olivia Wirth told reporters. “The experts say we simply won’t be able to operate in this situation.”
Knock-on effects
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology estimates Adelaide will be affected for 24 hours, Canberra and Sydney for
around 36 to 48 hours, and Melbourne for 36 to 48 hours from Wednesday.
International flights inbound to Sydney have been diverted to Brisbane, ABC News reported.
Virgin’s domestic cancellations alone will affect 170 flights.
Qantas’ budget airline Jetstar also cancelled Adelaide and Sydney flights, while Tiger Airways is reported
to have grounded its entire fleet. Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson said hundreds
of thousands of passengers would be affected across the country. “When you take out major centres
like Sydney and Melbourne, the knock-on effects of that are huge, and that’s unfortunate, but safety has to come first. “When it’s safe to go flying, the airlines will go back, but not until then,” he said.
Currently no shipments of Abels Moving Services have been effected by these delays
Any future shipmements will be held in Abels furniture storage facilities at no additional cost to its customers to wait out the clearance of the ash cloud.
Should you wish to discuss moving to Sydney or relocating to Australia in general please call +44 1842 816600 or email shipping@abels.co.uk