Costa Rica international airport to reopen Tuesday after volcano ash cleared

SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Costa Rica's international airport is set to reopen Tuesday morning after the eruption of a nearby volcano blanketed runways with ash, forcing its closure overnight. The airport, the largest in the tourist hot spot, will resume operations at 6:00 a.m. local time, said airport official Silvia Chaves, adding that 13 flights had been delayed, cancelled or rerouted. The Turrialba volcano began erupting Monday afternoon, spewing thick black clouds of ash more than 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) into the sky. Winds pushed the ash towards the capital San Jose, some 31 miles (50 km) away. Ash can affect the safety of flights during takeoff and landing as well as damage engines. (Reporting by Zach Dyer; editing by Nick Macfie)