Flight disruptions continue Friday in Alaska as volcanic ash drifts from Russia

Apr. 14—Flight disruptions to, from and within Alaska continued Friday morning as volcanic ash drifted over the southern part of the state following an eruption in Russia's Far East.

On Thursday, 51 Alaska Airlines flights were canceled, the company said in a statement. By 11 a.m. Friday, 37 more flights were canceled. More cancellations were possible and delays were likely, Alaska Airlines said.

"We continue to monitor the location, movement and timing of the ash cloud, specifically over Southeast Alaska and Eastern Washington," the statement said.

The Shiveluch Volcano began erupting Tuesday, sending ash clouds more than 6 miles into the air. A long, thin cloud of ash passed first over the Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska east of Kodiak Island.

On Friday morning, the cloud stretched from Anchorage to portions of Southeast Alaska and into Canada, said Randall Vowles, an aviation forecaster at the National Weather Service. A large concentration remained over the central area of the Gulf of Alaska, he said.

The cloud moved east overnight and was expected to continue in that direction, Vowles said. It was beginning to diminish Friday morning in areas where it moved inland, he said.

Volcanic ash is a danger for jets because it is abrasive and can cause engines to fail.