US: Skies above Hawaii still safe for planes after volcano spews ash

Airlines and aviation officials are keeping a close watch on the skies above Hawaii after the Kilauea volcano spewed ash 30,000 feet into the air this morning. There are temporary flight restrictions in place, but so far it doesn’t pose much of a risk to planes. United Continental says flights are operating normally and local officials say the major airports are as well. The flowing lava and noxious fumes have prompted evacuations across the Big Island, but the plume of ash that erupted early Thursday is mostly blowing out to sea and away from the other islands. “The lighter particles are being carried off to the east,” said Kevin Kodama, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Honolulu. “Right now the rest of the chain are not seeing a whole lot of impacts.” Officials are keeping an eye on the situation. “We have had temporary flight restrictions in place around the volcano, and have been changing them as circumstances warrant,” said Ian Gregor, a spokesman with the FAA. “We are in the process of raising the ceiling of the restricted area to 30,000 feet from 10,000 feet.”<br/>