Perilous Times
Volcano cloud chaos grows over Europe
Ash cloud set to block 17,000 flights in Europe: Eurocontrol
Brussels (AFP) April 16, 2010 - Some 17,000 flights in European
airspace are likely to be cancelled Friday due to the dangers posed by
a volcanic ash cloud spreading from Iceland, the intergovernmental
Eurocontrol agency said. The air traffic coordinating agency warned
that there was plenty more travel misery to come for travellers in
Europe and beyond.
"Forecasts suggest that the cloud of volcanic ash is continuing to move
east and south-east and that the impact will continue for at least the
next 24 hours," it said in the statement. Eurocontrol "expects around
11,000 flights to take place today in European airspace. On a normal
day, we would expect 28,000." Of the 300 transatlantic flights that
would usually arrive in Europe in the morning, only 100-120 managed to
get over, said Eurocontrol, which coordinates air navigation services
across Europe.
by Staff Writers
London (AFP) April 16, 2010
A huge cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland cast a growing shadow over
Europe on Friday, grounding thousands more flights in the continent's
biggest air travel shutdown since World War II.
As the giant no-fly zone stretched further, Europe's air traffic
control centre predicted 17,000 flights would be cancelled Friday.
Experts warned the fallout from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in
southeast Iceland could take several days to clear and aviation
authorities refused to say when the skies would clear again.
The volcano spewed out more smoke and ash on Friday building up the
cloud that is being blown towards Europe. The cloud now extends from
the Atlantic to the Russian capital and from the Arctic Circle to
Austria and Bulgaria in southern Europe.
Thousands of people were stranded in airports around the world as a
global flight backlog built up.
Europe's three biggest airports -- London Heathrow, Paris-Charles de
Gaulle and Frankfurt -- were closed by the ash, which is a threat to
jet engines and pilot visibility.
Eurocontrol, the European air traffic control group, said only 11,000
of the daily 28,000 flights in the affected zone would take off Friday.
At least half of the 600 daily flights between Europe and North America
would be cancelled.
About 6,000 flights to and within Europe were cancelled Thursday.
Poland, Britain, Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Lithuania,
Latvia, Estonia, Belgium and the Netherlands shut down all or most of
their airspace.
Finland, France, Germany, Russia and Spain experienced major
disruption, although Sweden and Ireland gradually reopened their
airspace and Norway temporarily allowed some flights as the ash drifted
away.
"Forecasts suggest that the cloud of volcanic ash is continuing to move
east and southeast and that the impact will continue for at least the
next 24 hours," Eurocontrol said in a statement.
Most aviation authorities promised a review on Friday, but the Dutch
transport inspectorate set the uncertain tone: no flights "until
further notice".
Poland had considered delaying the funderal on Sunday of President Lech
Kaczysnki because the cloud threatened the flights of US President
Barack Obama and other world leaders.
But a senior presidential aide insisted it would go ahead as planned in
the southern city of Krakow, even though its airport was closed Friday.
Other diplomatic engagements were hit however -- Portuguese President
Anibal Cavaco Silva was stranded in Prague after Czech airspace closed.
In Britain, airports including London Heathrow, the world's busiest
international air hub, were deserted as operators warned travellers not
even to turn up for booked flights.
British officials extended the ban on non-emergency flights in most of
its airspace until 0000 GMT Saturday "at the earliest", although some
flights in Northern Ireland and western Scotland will be allowed.
The Eurostar Channel tunnel rail service reported thousands of
passengers rushing to get places on its London-Paris trains. It laid on
three extra trains but still could not keep up with demand.
Baltic ferries also reported a surge in demand.
Debbie Eidsforth, 36, spent the night at Heathrow and was trying to get
back to Adelaide in Australia via Hong Kong.
"I had paid 5,500 pounds (6,300 euros, 8,500 dollars) for my flights,
but it doesn't matter what class you fly in, everyone's in the same
situation," she said.
In Scotland, health officials warned that ash falling to the ground
over northern Britain might cause symptoms such as itchy eyes or a sore
throat.
Amsterdam's Schiphol airport prepared beds and meals for 2,000 stranded
travellers, hundreds spent the night at Brussels airport and at Paris
Charles de Gaulle, passengers slept on cafe benches.
The prevailing winds, however, allowed Icelandic airports to remain
open.
The volcano on the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in southern Iceland erupted
just after midnight on Wednesday.
The ash drifted at an altitude of about 8.0-10 kilometres (5.0-6.0
miles). Although it could not been seen from the ground, experts said
it posed a major threat.
In the past 20 years, there have been 80 recorded encounters between
aircraft and volcanic clouds, causing the near-loss of two Boeing 747s
with almost 500 people on board and damage to 20 other planes, experts
said.
earlier related report
Europe faces days of air chaos from volcanic ash cloud
Reykjavik (AFP) April 16, 2010 - Air travellers are facing prolonged
delays after a huge cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano provoked the
most extensive shutdown of airspace since the September 11 attacks in
2001.
Experts warned the fallout from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in
southeast Iceland, which covered the skies of northern Europe Thursday,
could take several days to clear.
The eruption has already melted the 250-metre (820-feet) thick glacier
around it, causing severe floods.
And with thousands stranded in airports around the world, the European
air traffic control group Eurocontrol said planes could stay grounded
for at least 48 hours.
It estimated that 5,000 to 6,000 flights were cancelled overall on
Thursday as grey ash from the second major eruption in Iceland in less
than a month blew across the north Atlantic, closing major airports
more than 2,100 kilometres (1,300 miles) away.
Eurocontrol predicted that at least half of the 600 daily flights
between Europe and North America would be cancelled Friday.
Belgium, Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden shut down
their airspace because the ash threatened jet engines and visibility.
Finland, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain also experienced major
disruption.
The cloud spread over northern Poland late Thursday, threatening to
disrupt attendance at this weekend's memorial and funeral services for
President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in a plane crash Saturday.
As Polish aviation authorities closed airspace over the north of the
country, US President Barack Obama and other world leaders were
monitoring the cloud before confirming their attendance at the
ceremonies.
Hundreds of flights out of London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports were
cancelled, including transatlantic services. Britain extended its ban
past midday Friday.
The National Air Traffic Services, which manages British airspace, said
the cloud was moving south and grounded all non-emergency flights until
1200 GMT Friday.
Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz ordered hotel rooms to be
provided to Saudi travellers stranded in Britain by flight ban.
In Scotland, health officials warned that ash falling to the ground
over northern Britain might cause symptoms such as itchy eyes or a sore
throat.
Belgian and Norwegian authorities said their airspace would remain
closed most of Friday and that the outlook was not optimistic for the
two subsequent days.
Flights headed for Europe were grounded all around the world. Norwegian
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was stranded in New York, the NTB news
agency reported.
Amsterdam's Schiphol airport prepared beds and meals for stranded
travellers. Hundreds spent the night at the Brussels airport and others
across northern Europe.
The prevailing winds, however, allowed Icelandic airports to remain
open.
The ash drifted at an altitude of about 8.0-10 kilometers (5.0-6.0
miles). Although it could not been seen from the ground, experts said
it posed a major threat.
In the past 20 years, there have been 80 recorded encounters between
aircraft and volcanic clouds, causing the near-loss of two Boeing 747s
with almost 500 people on board and damage to 20 other planes, experts
said.
The volcano on the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in southern Iceland erupted
just after midnight on Wednesday.
Smoke from the top crater stacked more than 6,000 metres (20,000 feet)
into the sky, meteorologists said. A 500-metre fissure appeared at the
top of the crater on Wednesday, Iceland's RUV broadcaster reported.
The heat melted the surrounding glacier, causing major flooding that
forced the evacuation of about 800 people.
"We have two heavy floods coming out from the melting of the
Eyjafjallajokull glacier," police spokesman Roegnvaldur Olafsson told
AFP.
The eruption -- in a remote area about 125 kilometres (75 miles) east
of Reykjavik -- was bigger than the blast at the nearby Fimmvorduhals
volcano last month.
"It is very variable how long these eruptions last. Anywhere from a few
days to over a year," said geophysics professor and civil protection
advisor Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson.
"Judging from the intensity of this one, it could last a long time."
He noted there were more than 250 metres of thick ice on top of the
crater that quickly melted and caused massive flooding.
Last month, the first volcano eruption at the Eyjafjallajokull glacier
since 1823 -- and Iceland's first since 2004 -- briefly forced 600
people from their homes in the same area.
That eruption at the Fimmvorduhals volcano only ended on Tuesday, hours
before the new one sent up the cloud.
earlier related report
Iceland volcano flight disruptions reach US
New York (AFP) April 15, 2010 - Air connections between some major US
cities and Britain and points in Europe were cancelled Thursday after a
volcano in Iceland spewed huge clouds of ash into the skies above
northern Europe.
"There are no flights that are leaving or coming from the United
Kingdom," said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey, which oversees JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports.
The intergovernmental Eurocontrol agency said half of all transatlantic
flights are expected to be cancelled on Friday due to the volcanic ash.
An average of 600 flights take place each day between Europe and North
America.
Overall, 5,000 to 6,000 flights were likely cancelled on Thursday, with
the airspace of Britain, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark,
Sweden, Norway, Finland, the north of France, parts of northern Germany
and part of northern Poland closed to civilian aircraft, according to
Eurocontrol.
Thousands of flights were grounded as countries imposed the biggest
airspace closure since the September 11 attacks in 2001, while experts
warned that fallout from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano could take
several days to clear.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it was
coordinating with Britain's main air navigation services provider,
National Air Traffic Services (NATS) "on implementing contingency
measures to ensure that flights are re-routed through adjacent
airspace" to avoid the ash plumes.
US airlines scrambled to come up with alternatives as thousands of
customers were forced to delay their flight plans.
United Airlines said "we are experiencing major disruption to our
services and timetable" at London Heathrow airport, and noted the
situation was evolving after NATS restricted flights within affected
areas.
"This is an evolving situation," it added, saying it had issued travel
waivers for its customers to change their travel plans free of charge.
Continental Airlines cancelled at least 32 flights and said that its
Newark hub was severely affected, as well as some flights from its
Houston, Texas hub.
It allowed refunds and waived change fees and fare differences for
customers with travel starting by May 2. For other dates, change fees
were waved although fare differences may apply.
And US Airways said it had cancelled six flights so far from
Philadelphia to Manchester, Heathrow and Dublin.
Delta Air Lines cancelled 65 international flights -- 35 of them late
Thursday and the rest for early Friday -- from its US hubs to Paris,
Amsterdam, London, Manchester, Dublin, Shannon, Brussels and Bombay.
All Delta flights to British airports and Paris's Charles de Gaulle
airport were cancelled for Thursday and early Friday.
It allowed customers ticketed to travel from or through affected areas
Thursday through Sunday could make a one-time change to their flight
plans without fees so long as tickets are changed by April 30.
Customers whose flights were cancelled were also allowed to request
refunds.
Airports serving Washington were running normally but bracing for
disruption.
"There will be (delays). Most of our international flights from that
part of the world are in the afternoon," said Courtney Mickalonis,
spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Transit Authority.
At nearby Baltimore airport, the one direct daily flight to Europe,
operated by British Airways, was cancelled.
"It very much depends on what happens with the volcano" as to whether
there would be further delays, airport spokesman Jonathan Dean told AFP.
Florida airports felt little impact from the disruptions in Europe.
Orlando International Airport spokesman Rod Johnson said there had only
been two flight cancellations due to the volcanic ash.
Miami Airport reported that one of two British Airways flights due
Thursday had been cancelled and further delays were possible when
flights arrive from Europe and return.
A spokesman for Delta Airlines at Atlanta International Airport said
British-connected flights had been shut down.
Chicago's O'Hare airport said 20 international flights to European
destinations had been canceled so far, while Midway international
airport reported normal operations.