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EPA
Mexican volcano Popocatépetl erupted earlier this month, spewing ash and gases into the air
A flight from Amsterdam to Mexico City had to turn back in midair because of a volcanic eruption, Dutch airline KLM has said.
Flight KL685 was thousands of feet over Canada when activity from the volcano Popocatépetl near the Mexican capital forced it back across the Atlantic.
Passengers spent 11 hours in the air, only to disembark in the same city.
The plane reportedly could not land elsewhere because of “a large cargo of horses onboard”.
An airline spokesperson told The Independent it was the horses and “the visa requirements of passengers” which meant it had to go back to its airport of origin.
KLM has apologised and rebooked flights for all passengers.
The flight, which set off at about 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT), reportedly arrived back at Schiphol airport at 02:30 the next morning.
Maps of the plane’s flight path posted online show it was over New Brunswick in Canada when it turned around.
Popocatépetl is Mexico’s second highest peak, and stands 70km (43 miles) from Mexico City.
The volcano has been active throughout the year, and most recently erupted earlier this month, pumping ash and gases high into the air.
Flight KL685 is far from the first to be disrupted by a troublesome volcano.
In 2010, thousands of planes were grounded when Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull erupted and covered Europe with a giant ash cloud.
More recently, flights were disrupted in May when Mount Agun in Bali erupted, spewing lava and rocks over a 3km distance.
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