Updated with pull forward for Sydney international departures

If you are making a day trip between any of the SE capital cities today, cut your losses and go home now, or, pack a change of clothes and a toothbrush.

The volcanic ash cloud situation has deteriorated rapidly, and Qantas has cancelled all Canberra flights from midday and all Sydney flights from 3 pm, which means day return trips are NOT on as far away as Brisbane to the southern capitals or to and from Tasmania.

Qantas has also pulled forward three international departures from Sydney today. QF1 which was to depart for London via Bangkok at 4.55 pm, QF31 which was to depart for London via Singapore at 4.10 pm, and QF5, which was to depart for Frankfurt via Singapore at 3.50 pm have all been resheduled to leave at 2.15 pm

All domestic jet flights to Adelaide had already been cancelled. Tiger Airways has suspended all of its services until at least mid afternoon.

This second major visitation by the plumes of volcanic debris from Mt Puyehue eruptions in Chile has affected flight paths at both high and low levels.  Virgin Australia will not make its mind up about further closures from Sydney and Canberra until after 10 am, claiming it will not be updated by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre until then, which suggests  it should either pick up the phone immediately, or find out why Qantas knows something it clearly doesn’t know.

PS Half an hour after Virgin Australia postponed any further decisions until it has been updated by the VAAC at 10 am it appears to have found a new source of information and has at 9.20 am announced the cancellation of Canberra flights after 1 pm.