A HUGE CLOUD OF ASH BILLOWING FROM A MONTSERRAT VOLCANO FORCED THE SUSPENSION OF SOME INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS OVER THE CARIBBEAN ON SUNDAY, AIRLINE AND AIRPORT OFFICIALS SAID, ACCORDING TO DPA. FLIGHTS BETWEEN VENEZUELA AND MIAMI WERE GROUNDED, AS WELL THOSE TO AND FROM THE DUTCH ISLAND OF ARUBA, AFTER A DOME ATOP A VOLCANO ON MONTSERRAT ISLAND COLLAPSED SATURDAY, SENDING VOLCANIC DEBRIS CASCADING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND SHOOTING ASHES 10 MILES (16 KILOMETERS) INTO THE SKY. THE DECREASED VISIBILITY OVER THE CARIBBEAN FORCED VENEZUELAN CARRIER AEROPOSTAL TO SUSPEND ITS FLIGHTS SUNDAY BETWEEN CARACAS AND MIAMI, AEROPOSTAL VICE PRESIDENT JUAN CARLOS BLANCO TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. AEROPOSTAL FLIGHTS TO ARUBA, CUBA, CURAZAO AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WERE ALSO GROUNDED. «AS SOON AS IT'S SAFE TO FLY, WE'LL RENEW THE FLIGHTS,» BLANCO SAID. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE SIMON BOLIVAR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT THAT SERVES CARACAS SAID AMERICAN AIRLINES HAD ALSO SUSPENDED ITS FLIGHTS BETWEEN MIAMI AND CARACAS. AMERICAN AIRLINES OFFICIALS THERE WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT. ON ARUBA, ALL FLIGHTS WERE CANCELED SUNDAY, INCLUDING THOSE TO MIAMI, NEW YORK, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO AND TORONTO.
