MANILA — AirAsia cancelled several flights to Iloilo and Bacolod due to the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.

“In view of the ongoing activity of Mt. Kanlaon, we have adjusted flight schedules as a proactive measure to ensure safety and well-being of our guests and crew. We are continuously coordinating with aviation authorities and will resume operations as soon as conditions permit,” said AirAsia Philippines Communications and Corporate Affairs Head, First Officer Steve Dailisan.

The budget carrier said passengers on the canceled flights can opt to reschedule the flight, retain the value of the flight in their AirAsia account for future travel, or get a full refund.

"Refund requests can be made with AskBo at support.airasia.com. Refunds for bookings made through travel agents including online travel agents must be done via travel agents from which the booking was made," the company said.

Phivolcs earlier said a moderately explosive eruption occurred at the summit crater of Kanlaon Volcano at 02:55 a.m. today, that lasted 5 minutes.

"The eruption generated a greyish voluminous plume that rose approximately 4.5 kilometers above the vent before drifting to the southwest," the agency said.

Alert Level 3 remains up over Kanlaon, which means that the volcano is in a state of magmatic unrest. Phivolcs said communities within a 6-km radius from the summit crater should remain evacuated.