Ash cloud grounds South American flights

Aerolineas Argentinas air company worker stands at Jorge Newbery airport where flights were canceled due to an ash cloud that reached Buenos Aires from the Chilean Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano, grounding air travel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The cloud of volcanic ash traveled in June from the southern area of Argentina to the northeast, causing flight cancellations, a considerable diminish of tourism and economic prejudice in the area

The ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in southern Chile has spread to Argentina, causing flight cancellations across South America.

Aerolineas Argentinas, the country’s biggest airline, cancelled operations, according to the press office. American Airlines cancelled scheduled flights from Buenos Aires to Miami, New York and Dallas, according to the international airport’s information centre.

Lan Airlines scrapped flights to Buenos Aires from Ecuador, Uruguay and Peru, while others were delayed, the company said on its website.

European carriers including those run by Alitalia, Iberia and Air France-KLM Group are reporting some delays in arrivals and departures, according to the press office of Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, which operates 33 terminals in the country, including two in Buenos Aires.

Chile’s Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic complex began to erupt on June 4, generating ash clouds that led to flight cancellations because of concerns that they may clog jet engines.

Damage to livestock and crops led Argentina to declare an agriculture emergency last month in the southern provinces of Rio Negro, Chubut and Neuquen.