Flights near Mayon Volcano in Albay remain suspended until Thursday morning, December 18, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said on Wednesday.
CAAP said the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) covering flights near Mayon will remain in effect until 9 a.m. on Thursday.
The restriction applies to airspace with vertical limits from the surface up to 11,000 feet, according to CAAP.
The NOTAM took effect at 7:48 a.m. on Wednesday and was extended due to continued volcanic activity.
“Flight operators are advised to avoid flying close to the volcano, which remains under Alert Level 1 or low-level unrest,” CAAP said.
The extension followed a report from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) of a rockfall event earlier on Wednesday.
Phivolcs said the rockfall was generated by the detachment or “spalling” of lava from Mayon’s summit crater.
“Rockfall travelled along Mi-isi Gully (south-southeast of upper slope; left of camera footage) and came to rest within a kilometer of the Mayon summit,” Phivolcs said.
CAAP first issued the NOTAM over Mayon on December 10 after spines of dark lava were extruded from the volcano’s summit lava dome.
Authorities continue to monitor Mayon’s activity and advised pilots to strictly observe flight restrictions in the area.