Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Belarus airspace remains open

BelaPAN

Belarus' airspace remained open on Monday as a plume of volcanic ash from Iceland was at an altitude of no more than 6,000 meters and was said to pose no danger to planes.

When reached by BelaPAN, a representative of the National Aviation and Meteorological Center said that a new cloud of volcanic ash was approaching Belarus but had a low concentration of particles and could not damage aircraft.

The country's airspace was closed because of volcanic ash on Saturday but was reopened the following day.

Most flights from Minsk to destinations westward of the country have been cancelled since last week as major airports have been closed because of the volcanic ash fears.

On Monday foreign airlines called off flights from Minsk to Frankfurt, Tallinn, Riga and Warsaw, while Belarus' national carrier Belavia delayed flights to Amsterdam and Rome but gave the go-ahead for a 1:20 p.m. flight from Minsk to Warsaw.

Planes from Moscow, Tbilisi, Tel Aviv and Yerevan landed at the Minsk National Airport on April 19.
The air travel chaos prompted the Belarusian government last week to temporarily ease visa formalities for foreigners whose flights were cancelled.

The ministry said that foreigners stranded in Belarus as a result of the air travel disruptions would face no consequences for overstaying their visas.