An Active Volcano Is Disrupting Air Travel In Indonesia

Local airlines have been advised to avoid an erupting volcano in Indonesia, the AP reports.

Mt. Sinabung, an 8,350-foot active volcano, last erupted in August 2010. This eruption began Sunday. More than 15,000 residents have fled the area, according to the AP.

A general manager for air navigation at Kuala Namu airport in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, told the AP the aviation warning was issued Wednesday, and concerns small planes running short flights in the area. The Sinabung eruption has spewed ash about 10,500 feet into the air, well below the altitude at which large jets fly.

Ash can build up in the machinery of a plane, jam the engines and cause them to fail, according to The Guardian. The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland forced authorities to shut down much of European airspace for about three weeks, according to Icelandair.

Here's a map showing Mt Sinabung's location: