/ 19 June 2011

SA flights delayed by Chile volcanic ash cloud

Airline flights would be delayed throughout the week as a backlog of suspended flights caused by the volcanic ash cloud still had to be cleared, Airports Company SA (Acsa) said on Sunday.

“Passengers travelling today and in the next few days are advised to contact their airline in order to confirm their flight details before going to the airports,” Acsa spokesperson Solomon Makgale said.

Acsa and Air Traffic and Navigation Services were monitoring the situation with the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Action Centre in France.

Makgale said travellers would be informed when new information became available.

On Saturday evening, all SAA flights to and from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London, as well as one flight from Johannesburg to London, were suspended due to the ash clouds caused by the Puyehue volcano in Chile. – Sapa