Volcano eruption in Russia causes flight cancellations in northwestern B.C.

Some flights out of northwesternBritish Columbia are cancelled due to ash from a Russian volcano that erupted thousands of kilometres away.

Air Canada says it is monitoring the ash cloud from the Shiveluchvolcano, which caused the cancellation of some of its regional flights to and from Prince Rupert and Terrace on Thursday.

It says in an email that more schedule adjustments could occur depending on the direction of the ash cloud.

The volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, about 4,300 kilometreswest of Terrace, erupted Tuesday and sent up an ash cloud 10 kilometreshigh.

Volcano spews dust and ash on Russian villages

1 year ago

Duration 1:09

A volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula erupted early Tuesday, spewing dust into the sky and across communities in eastern Russia.

Prince Rupert resident Linda Nguyen, whowas monitoring her fiance Spencer Loch's flight from Vancouver to Terrace, didn't believe the reason for the cancellationat first.

"I was like, that's a joke," she said.

After several delays and cancellations, Loch ended up driving a rented car with some fellow stranded passengers to Prince George and catching a flight to Terrace from there.

"It is an extreme sport trying to fly in or out of the north," said Nguyen.

The volcano also threw a wrench into Jamie Komadina's plans. She had booked a flight from Terrace to Boston to run in the Boston Marathon after eight years of wanting to go. When it was cancelled, she decided to drive to Vancouver and catch a flight from there.

No matter the inconvenience, "I'm getting there," she said.

Across the border, Alaska Airlines also cancelled more than two dozen flights in the state, citing safety concerns as volcanic ash can cause a jet engine to shut down.

Carman Hendry,manager of Northwest Regional Airport in Terrace-Kitimat, said WestJet has also cancelled flights into the airport because the planes would have to fly through the ash.

"Better down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing they were down here," he said in an interview Thursday.

Hendry said he is unsure how many flights will be affected, but the airport is not expecting any more incoming flights for the rest of the day.