Vancouver to Asia flights cancelled because of volcanic eruption

A remote volcano in the North Pacific is playing havoc with flights between Vancouver and Asia, as Air Canada, Air China, Asiana Airlines and Korean Airlines all cancelled or delayed flights in and out of Vancouver International Airport on Tuesday.

The Sarychev Peak, on Russia's central Kuril Islands, began belching plumes of ash and smoke high into the atmosphere on June 12 and airlines are taking no chances flying through the gritty residue.

Anyone travelling between Vancouver and Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong is urged to check with their airline before heading to the airport.

According NASA, the ash plume from the eruption reached an altitude somewhere between eight and 16.5 kilometres above sea level, leaving a brown mass of volcanic ash more than 50 kilometres in diameter.

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