Sixteen flights to Alaska were canceled Monday night when Mount Redoubt erupted for the fifth time in less than 24 hours.
Flights had been canceled Sunday night and Monday morning, but resumed Monday afternoon as the volcano's ash plume moved north out of the flight path.
Alaska Airlines stationed planes wrapped in a protective plastic sealant in Anchorage overnight to protect them from possible ash fall, the airline said in a written statement this morning. The planes have been "unwrapped," inspected and approved for passenger flights, the statement said.
"We are continuing to closely (monitor) the weather and ash from Mount Redoubt to assess our ability to safely operate flights in and out of Alaska, and may make further adjustments to our schedule if conditions change," said CEO Ben Minicucci.
Passengers booked on a canceled flight between March 22 and March 24 may re-book before March 30 without penalty or may apply for a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket, the airline said.
Passengers can check the status of their flights at alaskaair.com or by calling 1-800-252-7522.
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