Thousands face volcanic ash cloud flight cancellations

[Gerald]

Eurocontrol's Brian Flynn explains how the ash cloud is being monitored as passengers wait at airports in northern Europe.


Thousands of passengers have had their flights cancelled because of drifting ash from an Icelandic volcano.

Airports affected include Londonderry, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Prestwick, Durham Tees Valley, Newcastle and Carlisle, air traffic services company Nats said.

The UK's emergency response committee, Cobra, met to discuss the knock-on effects of the ash cloud.

Air traffic management body Eurocontrol said about 500 flights were cancelled across Europe on Tuesday.

UK air traffic control service Nats said the ash cloud would continue to affect flights from some airports in Scotland and northern England from 1900 BST on Tuesday until 0100 BST on Wednesday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13513981


Note: 24 May 2011 Last updated at 15:51 GMT

[CCIP]

Friend of mine should be flying back to US tomorrow from Norway via Amsterdam.

Should be interesting times for him

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by CCIP

Friend of mine should be flying back to US tomorrow from Norway via Amsterdam.

Should be interesting times for him

Yes, hope is extremely short-lived,

[Sailor Steve]

OMG, the apocolypse started three days late! That's as bad as when Friday the 13th comes on a Tuesday!

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

OMG, the apocolypse started three days late! That's as bad as when Friday the 13th comes on a Tuesday!

[Oberon]

I think Ryanair are being real idiots, checking in passengers and saying that they're going to fly whilst a ban is on, I mean for goodness sake haven't they seen what ash can do to a jet engine? I sure as hell wouldn't fly through an ash cloud, no matter what density it was.

EDIT: And, you know, once upon a time they'd have laid on extra trains to take passengers south to airports not affected by the ash cloud so that they could fly out. But I guess communication is too scare a resource to waste on the public...

[CCIP]

Originally Posted by Oberon

I think Ryanair are being real idiots, checking in passengers and saying that they're going to fly whilst a ban is on, I mean for goodness sake haven't they seen what ash can do to a jet engine? I sure as hell wouldn't fly through an ash cloud, no matter what density it was.

EDIT: And, you know, once upon a time they'd have laid on extra trains to take passengers south to airports not affected by the ash cloud so that they could fly out. But I guess communication is too scare a resource to waste on the public...

Yes, but what else would you seriously expect from Ryanair?

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by CCIP

Yes, but what else would you seriously expect from Ryanair?

Yeah, they do seem to be the 21st Centurys Dan Dair.

[Gerald]

Germany is closing its northern airspace on Wednesday because of ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland, officials say.

Bremen airport was closing at 0300 GMT and Hamburg at 0400 GMT, Germany's weather service said.

The airspace over Berlin and Hanover could also be affected.

Air traffic in Norway and Denmark has been disrupted but flights were expected to resume across the UK after some airspace in the north was closed.

Services in and out of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England had been badly hit, with about 500 flights cancelled across Europe.

Experts say particles in the ash could cause jet engines to stall.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13535054


Note: Update Record, 25 May 2011 Last updated at 06:59 GMT

Yeah, they do seem to be the 21st Centurys Dan Dair.

Dan Air were never that bad.

[Gerald]

[papa_smurf]

Ash clouds have cleared over UK airspace, but are expected to return in time for when schools break up for holidays.

And as for Mr O'Leary, he's an arrogant jumped up oik who always will be controversial.

[Gerald]

However, I hope, in a quick end of the volcanic history,