Madrid — Accumulation of ash and dust from Cumbre Vieja volcano erupting on the runway forced authorities on the island of La Palma in Spain to close the island’s airport on Thursday, said air traffic operator AENA.
Other airports in the Canary Islands off the coast of North Africa remained open, but an AENA spokesman said ash clouds are unlikely to pose any further risk to air travel so far.
This is the second time La Palma Airport has been closed due to ash deposits since the eruption on September 19.
“La Palma Airport is not functioning due to ash buildup. Established protocols are in place. Safety is a top priority,” he said.
In 2011, the total closure of European airspace due to volcanic ash from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajoktor volcano disrupted travel plans for millions of passengers in Europe and elsewhere, resulting in airline revenues of 10. Over 100 million euros.
Lapalma’s volcano has been forced to evacuate thousands of buildings and farms, leaving hundreds of buildings and farms with waste, blowing off jets of bright red lava for more than two weeks.
Eruption of Kilauea volcano in the Halemaumau crater at the summit of the volcano on September 29, 2021. (USGS via AP)The airport was closed on September 25, but reopened the next day after workers cleared the runway from volcanic ash.
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