View of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano taken on January 3, 2015, from Manizales city, department of Caldas, Colombia. (Photo: AFP)

BOGOTA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The direction of flights to and from Colombian capital Bogota will be modified due to smoke from the Nevado del Ruiz volcano and it may cause delays, the state-run Civil Aviation Authority reported Thursday.

"Because of the smoke from the Nevado del Ruiz volcano reaching 27,000 feet high, the Civil Aviation Authority informs that air traffic to and from Bogota, and from southern and western parts of the country, will be redirected," the agency said on its Twitter account.

The agency also said that itineraries may be affected, so it asked travelers to contact their respective airlines for more information.

"The Civil Aviation Authority, along with operators, are working in coordination to minimize the impact that this natural phenomenon may have for the safety of air operations and service to users," it said.

The Nevado del Ruiz, 5,321 meters above sea level, is located between the departments of Tolima and Caldas in center-west Colombia, with its last major eruption occurring in November 1985.