Alaska Airlines has resumed flying to Alaska cities after suspending operations there late Sunday and early today because of volcanic ash from an eruption in the Aleutian Islands. Volcanic ash ingested into jet engines can damage the engines and lead to shutdown of those engines if the damage is extensive. The airline canceled 44 flights to Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Adak, Anchorage and Fairbanks due to the ash from the Kasatochi volcano. Those flights were to and from Seattle, Portland, Denver, San Francisco, Chicago and Vancouver, B.C. Alaska is adding extra flights today to help some 5,200 passengers stranded by the earlier cancellations. August is peak tourist season in Alaska. "We recognize these cancellations have significantly impacted our customers with travel plans to and from Alaska," said Glenn Johnson, Alaska's executive vice president of airports, maintenance and engineering. "These decision are guided by out commitment to safety, and we are making every effort to reaccommodate passengers whose flight schedules have been disrupted." ...
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