Caap warns pilots of flight restrictions near Taal Volcano

MANILA, Philippines — A Notice to Airman (Notam) has been issued for flights near Taal Volcano, following its phreatic explosion on Tuesday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) announced.

“The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has issued a Notice to Airmen (Notam) for flights near Taal Volcano, with vertical limits from the surface to 11,000 feet,” the agency stated in a Thursday advisory.

The Notam took effect at 9:01 a.m. on December 5 and will last until 9 a.m. on December 6, according to Caap.

It added that flight operators are advised to avoid flying close to the volcano due to possible hazards of sudden explosions, minor ashfall, lethal accumulations, or expulsions of volcanic gas.

In its latest bulletin, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported Taal Volcano is still under Alert Level 1, or low-level unrest.