The Civil Aviation Authority announced the closure on Twitter, saying they made the decision due to “the change of wind direction from south to north and the increase in volcanic activity of Pacaya, and the rise in asphalt.”
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, the measure was taken following the recommendation of the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH) which announced the increase of volcanic ash in many parts of the capital.
“So far, nine planes have been affected and remain grounded, one flight from Los Angeles, California, United States, has been diverted to El Salvador,” the civil aviation authority in Guatemala said.
In a video posted on his Twitter account, Francis Argueta, director of civil aviation, said it was not clear how long the closure would take, but that the authorities “hope to close the airport operations as soon as possible”. resume.”
According to the US Geological Survey, encounters between aircraft and volcanic ash can hardly be distinguished from ordinary clouds, both visually and on radar. Ash clouds can also drift large distances from their source.
Ingestion of volcanic ash by engines can cause serious engine performance due to erosion of moving parts and partial or complete clogging of fuel nozzles.
Volcanic ash contains particles whose melting point is below the internal temperature of the engine. During flight, these particles will immediately melt as it passes through an engine. By passing the turbine, the molten materials cool rapidly, sticking to the turbine vanes and disrupting the flow of high-pressure combustion gases.
CNN’s Kara Fox and Paul Armstrong contributed to this report.