Volcanic ash cancels Australian flights again

Virgin Australia said it would cancel flights into and out of the southern city of Adelaide on Tuesday, when an ash cloud from a Chilean volcano was expected to move into Australian airspace again.

Ash from the Cordon Caulle volcano grounded hundreds of flights and stranded tens of thousands of passengers last week when it hovered over several Australian cities and New Zealand. By Friday, all flights were running normally, but the ash has lapped the globe and should soon cause more problems.

On Monday, Virgin Australia announced it would cancel Tuesday flights to and from the mid-size city of Adelaide and the nearby smaller city of Mildura. Other airlines said they were still looking at meteorological data and would make a decision on Tuesday flights later in the day.

Tristan King, a meteorologist with the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, Australia, said Monday that if the ash stays on its current course — and doesn't dissipate — it could eventually disrupt air traffic in Sydney and Melbourne, the country's two largest cities. Canberra, the capital, could also be affected.

Several airlines canceled flights into and out of Melbourne last week, causing havoc.
Chile said Sunday that the Cordon Caulle volcano, which began erupting June 4, was becoming less active.

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