"United Airlines Diverts 4 Tokyo Flights Due to Russian Volcano"

United Airlines has diverted four flights to Tokyo due to the eruption of a Russian volcano. The volcanic activity has affected air travel routes, necessitating these changes to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. The airline's adjustments are aimed at avoiding the volcanic ash cloud and minimizing potential disruptions to their flight operations.

United Airlines flights headed to Tokyo were diverted on Saturday due to the eruption of the Shiveluch volcano near Kamchatka Krai, Russia. After diverting, two flights eventually made it to their final destinations, while the other two were cancelled.

To assist the affected passengers, United arranged additional flights on Sunday. Volcanic ash poses risks to commercial aircraft, as it can potentially cause engines to fail mid-flight.

The disrupted flights included those from Newark, Washington DC, and Denver. According to aviation watchdog JonNYC, the affected flights were:

• UA143 from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Narita Airport (NRT)
• UA803 from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Haneda Airport (HND)
• UA79 from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to NRT
• UA131 from EWR to HND

Flight details:

• UA143, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, departed from DEN at 12:17 and flew for nearly six hours before diverting to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), landing at 22:49.
• UA803, a 777-200ER, took off from IAD at 12:23 and changed course over Canada, landing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) at 18:30.
• UA79, also on a 787-9, left EWR at 11:38, diverted to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), and landed at 14:32.
• UA131, a 777-200ER, departed from EWR at 10:25 and landed at ANC at 13:42.

UA79 and UA803 resumed their journeys after refuelling. UA79 departed ANC at 15:44 and reached NRT at 17:08 on Sunday. UA803 left SFO at 21:54 and landed at HND at 23:55 on Sunday.

UA143 and UA131 were cancelled. United Airlines stated it is working to rebook passengers who were unable to reach their destinations.

The Shiveluch volcano erupted early Sunday, following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake about 63 miles away, sending ash up to 16,000 feet high and triggering a “code red” warning for aircraft, indicating a significant ash emission.

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Source: simpleflying‍