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Alaska Airlines Resumes Flying in and out of Alaska as Mount Redoubt Ash Clears

Posted on: Friday, 27 March 2009, 20:34 CDT

Travelers advised to check status of flights at alaskaair.com or 800-ALASKAAIR; delays, cancellations still possible pending further volcanic activity

SEATTLE, March 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Airlines resumed flights in and out of Alaska this afternoon following the clearing of ash clouds from Mount Redoubt. Scheduled service will operate through Friday evening so long as ash clouds stay out of the area. However, flights to Nome and Kotzebue have been canceled due to the safety risk posed by volcanic ash that remains in those areas.

Twenty-eight flights to Alaska were canceled today and many others were delayed after Mount Redoubt erupted again at 8:40 this morning. Since the volcanic eruptions began Sunday, March 22, the airline has canceled more than 150 flights affecting an estimated 10,000 passengers.

"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 we may make further adjustments to our schedule if conditions change," said Ben Minicucci, chief operating officer and executive vice president of operations. "We are making every effort to re-accommodate passengers whose flight schedules have been disrupted."

Alaska Airlines expects to resume flights throughout Alaska on March 28, provided that conditions allow. Operations will be evaluated throughout this evening and early Saturday morning. Flight departure information will be posted at alaskaair.com.

Travelers are advised to check the status of flights before leaving home at alaskaair.com or by calling 1-800-ALASKAAIR (1-800-252-7522). Specific information about flight changes related to the Mount Redoubt volcano is available at alaskaair.com.

Passengers booked on a canceled flight between March 26 and 27, 2009, may rebook by midnight Alaska time April 2, 2009, without penalty or apply for a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket. Passengers with new reservations and those scheduled to travel after April 2, 2009, who wish to change their flights will be charged applicable penalty and change fees. Passengers booked on an Alaska Airlines Vacation should contact the Vacations Department at 1-800-468-2248.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve more than 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Traditional Network Carriers (tie)" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 North America Airline Satisfaction Study(SM). For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines

Source: PR Newswire

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