Juneau flights among growing list of cancellations across Alaska due to Kamchatka eruption

On February 17, 2008, the skies above Shiveluch Volcano in Russia’s Far East were clear and calm, allowing the ASTER instrument on NASAs Terra satellite to catch this view of a column of ash from a recent eruption seemingly frozen in the air over the mountain. The southern slopes of the snow-covered volcano were brown with ash. (NASA image)

The eruption of a volcano this week on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has prompted Alaska flight cancellations, including some flights in and out of Juneau.

Monday saw Shiveluch Volcano’s largest eruption in nearly 60 years with ash exploding at least 50,000 feet into the air. While the bulk of that cloud is to the southwest of Alaska around the western Aleutians, a ribbon of volcanic gas and a little ash reached the mainland on Wednesday.

Airline spokesperson Tim Thompson said that on Wednesday, the airline had canceled eight flights between Western Alaska airports and Anchorage. Those flights were to Adak, Bethel, Dillingham and King Salmon.

Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola was among those affected by the eruption overnight Wednesday, after her flight from Honolulu to Anchorage was turned back due to the ash plume. On Thursday morning she and other passengers were on the ground again in Honolulu, waiting for a chance to return home.

U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola waits in the Honolulu Airport.
U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola waits in the Honolulu Airport on April 13, 2023. (Photo by Hope McKenney/KBBI)

Juneau flights affected

Cancellations spread across the state on Thursday, and a Twitter post from the airline Thursday morning recommending passengers check their flight status.

As of 7 a.m. Alaska time Thursday, Alaska Airlines reported canceling 23 flights due to ash from the volcano.

So far, cancellations include Thursday morning flights from Anchorage to Juneau, Juneau to Sitka, and Juneau to Yakutat. Flight 64’s departure from Anchorage to Juneau has been delayed by at least 4 hours. Juneau airport manager Patty Wahto said other afternoon and evening flights were also listed as delayed.

Andy Kline, marketing manager for Alaska Seaplanes, said the company canceled flights from Klawock and Sitka to Juneau, and from Juneau to Haines and Skagway.

“We had one flight that was going to Hoonah when we got the call to cancel flights, so it landed in Hoonah and it’s there,” he said late Thursday morning.

The Alaska Seaplanes flight from Juneau to Petersburg was delayed but did depart in the early afternoon.

A massive cloud

Dave Schneider, a research geophysicist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage, says lava from the Shiveluch volcano forms a dome, parts of which periodically collapse and create ash clouds.

“What happened a couple days ago was much more significant,” he said. “It’s still too early to really know exactly what went on, but I surmise that a large part of the lava dome that’s been growing for years collapsed and unleashed a pretty good sized eruption.”

The massive cloud was initially moving west, blanketing villages in Russia with a thick layer of ash. But as another weather system came in, it started moving east, toward Alaska. And parts of the cloud are peeling off. As of Wednesday, the ash was still out in the western Aleutians.

“But bits and pieces of it are sort of getting pulled off, sort of like you’re making toffee, and you can pull a branch off, and it’ll sort of go off in its own direction,” Schneider said.

Check out satellite imagery of the cloud here

One cloud actually passed over Dillingham on Wednesday, though Schneider said it was mainly sulfur dioxide gas and contained very little ash.

“Both of those are part of the volcanic cloud that was produced,” he said. “And with satellites, we’re able to track those and that helps the weather service issue forecasts and sort of see where the cloud is and where it’s moving.”

The volcano’s emissions decreased on Wednesday, and Schneider said that while there’s no guaranteeing exactly when the cloud will disperse, that’s a fair sign that travel could soon be back to normal.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

KTOO’s Katie Anastas and KBBI’s Hope McKenney contributed to this story.

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