Delays anticipated to KOA and ITO for today due to ash cloud.

So, is there the possibility of closing those airports? Will flights to/from HNL or OGG be affected by this...delays as well?

Aircraft will fly around the volcanic ash.

DaCubbyBearBar wrote:

So, is there the possibility of closing those airports? Will flights to/from HNL or OGG be affected by this...delays as well?

Depends on how big the plume becomes, the direction it spreadsand and how that impinges on HNL/OGG-XXX routes. ATC game-day calls, I believe.

DaCubbyBearBar wrote:

So, is there the possibility of closing those airports? Will flights to/from HNL or OGG be affected by this...delays as well?

Prevailing winds are usually out of the West, so it's doubtful any airport other than ITO will be affected.

Last check of the METAR at KOA shows winds from 210 at 8.

It doesn’t say how high the ash cloud is erupting to. It’s been a few hours since the eruption started so when should we expect this information to leak out?

MIflyer12 wrote:

DaCubbyBearBar wrote:

So, is there the possibility of closing those airports? Will flights to/from HNL or OGG be affected by this...delays as well?

Depends on how big the plume becomes, the direction it spreadsand and how that impinges on HNL/OGG-XXX routes. ATC game-day calls, I believe.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but prevailing winds in Hawai'i are normally NE to SW (hence the 'windward' and 'leeward' sides of the five largest islands), so unless the winds are unusual I don't think it should affect airports on the other islands.

Two separate sigmets currently depicted, one over the island, and another northeast of the Island. The one to the northeast is up to 40,000’. It ideas appear that both airports are in the clear.

Both KOA and ITO are showing no delays as of now 8:42AM HST.

SWA canceled all flights from ITO for the day.

This eruption of Mauna Loa has been long-expected and it is well-covered. For those of you that want to know the latest, most up-to-date information with intelligent commentary, then the Volcano Cafe website is for you. And, I am glad to share the following link . . .

https://volcanocafe.org/trouble-in-para ... auna-loa-2

The article currently there was posted previously, so scroll past that and go to the comments section. You will read posts from professional vulcanologists, geologists, students, local officials, and just plain volcano geeks. You will find LOADS of links, many of them linking to live webcams, earlier footage, and some spectacular pics! Some of the commentary is quite technical, as you might expect, but the rest of it is fascinating, and you can follow this eruption in real time. If you know the Big Island, if you love Hawaii, and if you fly to/from/within Hawaii, you don't want to miss out on this! Check back often, as new posts are coming very frequently. This is an ongoing eruption of the world's largest volcano, so check back often!

mga707 wrote:

MIflyer12 wrote:

DaCubbyBearBar wrote:

So, is there the possibility of closing those airports? Will flights to/from HNL or OGG be affected by this...delays as well?

Depends on how big the plume becomes, the direction it spreadsand and how that impinges on HNL/OGG-XXX routes. ATC game-day calls, I believe.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but prevailing winds in Hawai'i are normally NE to SW (hence the 'windward' and 'leeward' sides of the five largest islands), so unless the winds are unusual I don't think it should affect airports on the other islands.

That's true for the prevailing winds going around the islands and through the saddle. The Big Island is big enough that there's usually some inland heating and a bit of a sea breeze on the Kona side in the afternoons. Volcanic ash might change that though depending on how much sky it obscures.

Here's what the experts are thinking about this eruption's impact on aviation. If airlines are cancelling flights from the US, it may be due to the 45,000-foot volcanic ash cloud lingering to the northeast of the islands. That covers most of the normal routes into and out of Hawai'i from the mainland.

https://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/ARCH22/GFX/MAUN0005.jpg
https://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/messages.html

Looks like HA is operating normally at ITO but SWA has cancelled all but 1 flight

mga707 wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but prevailing winds in Hawai'i are normally NE to SW (hence the 'windward' and 'leeward' sides of the five largest islands), so unless the winds are unusual I don't think it should affect airports on the other islands.

All islands everywhere have 'windward' and 'leeward' sides.

Boeing757100 wrote:

It doesn’t say how high the ash cloud is erupting to. It’s been a few hours since the eruption started so when should we expect this information to leak out?

Geologist here. The ash cloud won’t be much of an issue since this is a classic Shield Volcano eruption over a mantle hot spot. These generate very little ash compared to those subduction zone stratovolcanoes (Pinatubo, Caribbean or Japan) or the mid-ocean rift volcanoes (Iceland) with their giant ash plumes from wet low temperature melts. This volcano has very high temp mafic magma/lava that is very fluid and flows very well. There may be immediate local ash impacts to airports, but the plume will disperse very easily with the winds. Most of the warnings, delays or cancellations will be the result of erring on the side of safety.

747-600X wrote:

Here's what the experts are thinking about this eruption's impact on aviation. If airlines are cancelling flights from the US, it may be due to the 45,000-foot volcanic ash cloud lingering to the northeast of the islands. That covers most of the normal routes into and out of Hawai'i from the mainland.

https://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/ARCH22/GFX/MAUN0005.jpg
https://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/messages.html

Based on FR, there really are no impacts to flight routings to the islands today. ITO might have local issues from time to time, but seems to be a pretty normal day otherwise.

Spacepope wrote:

Boeing757100 wrote:

It doesn’t say how high the ash cloud is erupting to. It’s been a few hours since the eruption started so when should we expect this information to leak out?

Geologist here. The ash cloud won’t be much of an issue since this is a classic Shield Volcano eruption over a mantle hot spot. These generate very little ash compared to those subduction zone stratovolcanoes (Pinatubo, Caribbean or Japan) or the mid-ocean rift volcanoes (Iceland) with their giant ash plumes from wet low temperature melts. This volcano has very high temp mafic magma/lava that is very fluid and flows very well. There may be immediate local ash impacts to airports, but the plume will disperse very easily with the winds. Most of the warnings, delays or cancellations will be the result of erring on the side of safety.

Awesome info thank you for posting this!

Vicenza wrote:

mga707 wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but prevailing winds in Hawai'i are normally NE to SW (hence the 'windward' and 'leeward' sides of the five largest islands), so unless the winds are unusual I don't think it should affect airports on the other islands.

All islands everywhere have 'windward' and 'leeward' sides.

True. In Hawai'i, the three smaller main islands, which are all on the 'leeward' side of the chain, are wind/rain pattern affected by nearby larger islands.

Vicenza wrote:

mga707 wrote:

All islands everywhere have 'windward' and 'leeward' sides.

Ever been to Kodiak Island, Adak Island?