By Wendy Anders

Workers have been scrambling to clear ash from Costa Rica’s main international airport, the Juan Santamaría (SJO). Runways, landing strips and outdoor accesses to the boarding gates were cleared sufficiently by 12:05 p.m. today to allow for the airport to be opened, reported aviation officials to the press.

Civil Aviation Director Ennio Cubillo said that it is up to the discretion of each airline how quickly they will resume their operations. Because of the large outdoor area to be cleaned and the amount of ash present, some areas are not entirely cleared; therefore, said Cubillo, the reopening is being termed “parcial” or “controlled.”

Silvia Chavéz, spokesperson for the airport, said that the airport is open, and flights are arriving and departing, but that passengers need to contact their airline directly to find out if any changes have been made to their itinerary, both for those arriving in Costa Rica and for those departing from SJO.

As of 11:00 a.m. today, the Civil Aviation Directorate reported that approximately 12,000 passengers had been affected by the less than 24-hour closure, and that 120 flights had been cancelled during that lapse. The SJO airport was closed from early yesterday afternoon, until today at noon due to intense volcanic eruptions of the Turrialba Volcano located some 50 kms southeast of Alajuela.

The Tobías Bolaños International Airport in Pavas, a western suburb of San José, remains closed, and is estimated to reopen today at 2:30 p.m., said airport officials. Most flights from the Pavas airport are charter and private flights, but some domestic Nature Air flights also use this terminal.