Volcanic ash cloud set to disrupt European air services

25 May 2011

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European airports and air travellers braced for shutdowns as airports in northern Germany and Scandinavia prepared to close today with a cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland drifting across the North Sea. So far, airports in the United Kingdom, particularly in Scotland, had been affected by the Icelandic volcanic eruption.

Icelandic volcano eruption While airports in Bremen and Hamburg were due to close early, Berlin was to follow slightly later in the day.

British Airways, Air France-KLM Group and United Continental Holdings Inc (UAL) scrapped flights to and from airports in Scotland and northern England yesterday, while Air France-KLM cancelled 19 flights to and from airports in the UK, Norway, Sweden and Germany today.

Menawhile, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports expect flights to resume this morning after they were closed yesterday. British Airways carried out a verification flight last night to determine procedures to continue flying ''in accordance with risk-assessment methodology developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization,'' it said in an e-mailed statement.

This year the UK Civil Aviation Authority has revised its rules and will allow airlines to fly in an ash density of two grams or less per 10 cubic meters of air. In some cases they may also operate where the density is two to four grams with CAA approval, but flights are still banned at levels above four grams.

A similar Icelandic volcano eruption last year closed European airspace for six days, resulting in the scrapping of 100,000 flights at a cost of $1.7 billion, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

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