Sunday, May 16, 2010

Iceland Volcano Disrupts Air Travel in British Isles

A departure screen shows canceled flights at Belfast City Airport, Northern Ireland, 16 May 2010
Aviation authorities in Britain and Ireland say a cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland is disrupting air travel in their region.
Britain's National Air Traffic Service says Britain's airspace is facing partial closures Sunday, mostly in the north. It said the disruptions are affecting airports in Manchester, Liverpool and in Scotland. London's airports are open.
Airports in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man are closed. The Irish Aviation Authority says the Dublin and Shannon airports will remain open until later Sunday.
Europe's skies were closed for several days following the eruption of Iceland's volcano last month, stranding millions of passengers around the world.
The travel mess cost the financially struggling airline industry about $2 billion.
The European Union plans to adopt uniform procedures for setting up no-fly zones during volcano eruptions.
The grouping said member countries will consider the policy used by the United States and Canada - a 190-kilometer no-fly zone around a volcanic ash plume.
Airline safety experts say volcanic ash could cause jet engines to shut down in mid-air.

No comments:

Post a Comment