Iceland's volcanic ash halts flights in northern Europe

[Netto Azure]

Volcano ash spreads Europe flight chaos

The eruption in Iceland on Wednesday sent ash kilometres into the air.​

Flights have been disrupted across northern Europe by volcanic ash drifting south and east from Iceland.
Airspace was closed or flights cancelled in countries including the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and France.
The ash, which can damage aeroplane engines, was produced by a volcanic eruption under a glacier in Iceland.
Flooding was reported as the glacier melted, and up to 800 people were evacuated from the area on Wednesday.
By Thursday afternoon, the UK had shut its airspace and other countries, from Belgium to Scandinavia, were in the process of following suit.

'Wait and see'
UK airspace was shut down to all but emergency flights from midday (1100 GMT) on Thursday to 0700 BST (0600 GMT) on Friday, at the earliest. It was also closed in Ireland.
"Volcanic ash represents a significant safety threat to aircraft," said the UK's Air Traffic Control Service (Nats).

Oslo airport, which is Norway's largest, was closed on Thursday morning, meaning Norwegian airspace was completely closed.
Belgium, Sweden and Denmark announced they would be shutting their entire airspace, northern Finland was closed and the Netherlands was being closed progressively.
French aviation officials said on Thursday afternoon that the main airports in Paris and other airports in the north of the country were to be closed.
"Flights will be cancelled probably all day with the current prognosis," said Jo Kobro, information manager at Oslo Airport.
"Then we have to wait and see what the new weather forecasts will say about the wind direction, and if we are lucky the volcano diminishes in strength."
There was severe disruption in Germany and in Spain.

Wow, now this is quite the disruption towards European Commerce. :O

 

[Falconwing]

Ouch.

Volcanic eruptions are never fun, but I think Europe will be okay soon. When we had Mt. St. Helens erupts here about 30 years ago, Washington was down for a about a week, and then it was business as usual.

 

[H-con]

I heard some say it could last for weeks and months... Let's see how long it takes.

We were supposed to see some ash over here where I live, I haven't seen anything as of yet. They can feel it in a city somewhat further north though, could reach us here as well. They could at least smell sulfur.

The funny thing is that at least some of the insurance companies refuse to pay out compensation because "this isn't a natural disaster or weather". Yeah right, because a volcanic eruption isn't a natural disaster at all...

 

[Izumoshep]

Volcanoes not considered natural disasters? oh lol

 

[Fig]

Last time this volcano went up, it stayed up for eighteen months...though not necessarily quite as active the whole time.

 

[Mitchman]

The events official mascot.
http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=16659

 

[PlatinumDude]

The events official mascot.
http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=16659

lol.

Anyway, it's kinda sad. Volcanic ash can obscure the vision of the pilots. If that happens, they don't know where to go and there might be the possibility of an accident.

 

[Every Breaking Wave]

Anyway, it's kinda sad. Volcanic ash can obscure the vision of the pilots. If that happens, they don't know where to go and there might be the possibility of an accident.

They've got instruments to help them deal with take-off and landing (unless there's a spectacular failure of some sort), so they would be fine for that part. The real problem with the ash is that it can clog up all of the engines, hence why so many airports have been closed and flights cancelled. Personally, my greatest concern is inhalation of the ash, which can be incredibly dangerous.

 

[Every Breaking Wave]

Looks like the ash will affect flights in North America soon too.

Volcanic ash from a massive plume drifting over Europe may be headed all the way to Newfoundland and that has caused many flights out of St. John's to be cancelled for Monday morning.

That means musicians and other revellers in St. John's for the Juno Awards over the weekend could have a difficult time leaving the Rock after a night of celebrating Canadian music. An erupting volcano in Iceland has been pumping a massive cloud of ash into the sky for days, forcing the closure of airspace over much of Europe.

Transport Canada and Nav Canada have advised St. John's International Airport that there's a chance the ash spewing from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano will reach St. John's airspace Monday morning, said a spokeswoman for the airport.

"We do have a number of flights that have been cancelled Monday morning for precautionary reasons," said Marie Manning, the airport's director of marketing and community relations.

"What we understand is about a 30 per cent chance that the volcanic ash will hit us."

It looked as though travel surrounding the Juno Awards would be hampered both before and after the celebrations, as thick fog prevented some musical acts from attending Saturday's Juno Fan Fare - a showcase for bands nominated for new group of the year.

On Sunday night singer Michael Buble cut short his celebration after winning album and single of the year saying he was worried about the possible effect of the ash cloud.

"I spoke to my pilot...just now, who told me that the ash cloud would be coming to St. John's by 3 a.m. and that it could be three days before anybody leaves here," Buble said.

Transport Canada would make the decision to shut down the airspace, if necessary, and they would advise Nav Canada, who would then issue a "notice to airmen," advising pilots of the closure, said Nav Canada spokeswoman Michelle Bishop.

Air Canada, WestJet and Porter Airlines have cancelled flights Monday out of St. John's up to 9 a.m., Manning said.

Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah said that Monday morning flights to and from Gander and Deer Lake could also experience delays or possible cancellations as a result of the ash cloud.

"The volcanic ash is spreading westward and we are expecting it to affect our flight operations to and from three Canadian airports in Newfoundland and Labrador," she said.

Mah said Air Canada would keep an eye on the situation throughout the night and Monday morning for flights after 9 a.m. and she advised passengers to check the airline's website for the most up-to-date information.

"We will continue to evaluate for the rest of the day which flights we will be able to operate but we do expect there will be some delays and cancellations," she said.

Meanwhile, Canadian travellers stranded abroad by the volcanic ash resigned themselves to what will likely be several more days of waiting.

As the volcanic ash spread across Europe, Air Canada cancelled flights to and from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Geneva, Rome and Tel Aviv.

"It is expected that it may take several days for travel to resume," the airline said.

The European Union said air traffic could return to 50 per cent of its normal level on Monday, but only if forecasts confirmed that skies over half the continent were clearing of volcanic ash.

That would still leave airlines with a massive travel backlog that would take time to clear.

Chandra Ewing, a Canadian unable to fly home from Frankfurt, said Sunday that she counts herself lucky because she was able to take a train south to Diessen to go stay with a friend.

"Everyone seems pretty hopeless," Ewing said of people at the airport.

"People are out of money, people are stranded."

One Toronto couple, Melanie and Roger Dulos, had planned to attend the wedding of a close friend in London on Saturday, but like scores of other guests, simply couldn't get there.

"Only approximately 40 out of 110 guests were able to attend," Dulos said Sunday from Nice, France.

"The groom's parents also missed the wedding because they were stranded in Norway."

The couple was supposed to fly home from London Sunday but that wasn't happening either.

Dulos, 33, said she had been unable to reach British Airways to arrange her return flight, but her travel agent said the earliest she could likely leave is Saturday.

"We have been very fortunate in that we are in a beautiful city, with warm weather and have been able to extend the stay at the apartment we rented for no additional cost as of yet," Dulos said.

"We have decided to make the best of it, enjoy Nice, practice our French and visit a few extra museums and nearby cities we were unable to get to last week."

Some travellers, like a trio of businessmen from Peterborough, Ont., managed to get home from India by flying east instead of west.

They flew to Bangkok and Tokyo, before heading to Toronto, where they arrived Saturday afternoon.

"We basically went the other way around the world," said Gord Buchholz of Quickmill.

Andrea Gillis, 24, also from Toronto, and a friend were stranded in Dublin Sunday, instead of catching a flight from London back home.

"As of now we can't fly out until Friday from Dublin," Gillis said.

"We have a place to stay while we're here, so we've been making the most of our 'extended vacation,' but I feel like if this is still going on by the end of the week, the novelty could wear off."

 

[ayotui]

the really scary part is that another volcano in iceland. a much bigger volcano usally erupts when this one erupts.

so yaay airplanes might be grounded until june when vacation starts.

 

[Mijzelffan]

I heard some say it could last for weeks and months... Let's see how long it takes.

I heard that in exceptional cases it could last a year, so yeah.

 

[Eredar Warlock]

Looks like the ash will affect flights in North America soon too.

I actually know someone from Newfoundland who's currently away on vacation in Cuba.

 

[Fig]

I suspected it. I mean, with all your conservatism, your support of Sarah, your posting on Bulbagarden and assorted warcraft references, and everything else, it was a theory.

But now that you say you know someone from Newfoundland?

I know it for a fact. You have absolutely no taste

(PS: Not meant to be taken seriously.)

 

[Raves]

So, nobody's making any Heatran gags? And I expected as much from you bulbagarden stooges...

On a serious note, at least it never did a Krakatoa.

 

[Every Breaking Wave]

On a serious note, at least it never did a Krakatoa.

Or a Yellowstone.

 

[Battaman]

People of Iceland, you owe us cash, not ash!

Well I just hope Katla wont erupt as well, then this could hold on for months, well it still can, but the say on TV that's probably be over in a few weeks, the airport of Norway is already open again

 

[Soulweaver]

Yeah, this is pretty severe, the newspapers say that many aviation companies may get into financial trouble if the flight prohibitions last for a few weeks. Some people I know had plans to travel soon but probably have to forget that due to this situation.

 

[Eredar Warlock]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/04/20/lengthy-eruption-economy-cloud/

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Even as Europe's dormant airports sputter back to life, prudent travelers and businessmen should ask: What if Iceland's volcano erupts again?

Because it might. Over and over again, for weeks, perhaps months, scientists say.

The last eruption from the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in 1821 lasted off-and-on for 13 months — but back then there were no jet engines to get clogged by ash.

What should the world brace for if ash clouds waft over Europe intermittently for six months or a year, repeatedly closing airports with just a few hours' warning?

A devastated tourist industry. Less out-of-season produce at supermarkets. Businesses forced to improvise. And higher prices on just about everything.

Europe's recovery from the economic recession likely would be set back to zero. Banks and governments, worried about runaway inflation, could tighten credit. Railways and roads would be overloaded with freight and people needing more reliable means of travel.

A BMW plant in Germany and a Nissan plant in Japan were forced to close temporarily this week because the ash prevented the arrival of parts shipments. Prolonged disruptions to supply chains could have a profound effect on manufacturing and global trade.

The psychological effects of the uncertainty could be numbing. As long as the volcano keeps rumbling, few people are likely to risk long delays camped out at airports or trapped in overpriced hotels.

Some people may feel more isolated, unable to escape on a cheap last-minute air ticket. They may think twice about visiting Grandma if it means six hours on a train rather than an hour in the sky. Booking a seat on the intercity express may be a lot harder.

Optimists will see benefits in a slower pace of life and the excuse to pass up yet another business conference. Vacations will be closer to home.

The climate might benefit from the absence of polluting aircraft, although the cancellation of 100,000 or so flights would amount to just a blip on the rising graph of the world's carbon emissions.

National railways are enjoying a boom, with extra trains running from Moscow and Madrid and all points in between. Eurostar added 33 trains since the weekend carrying 165,000 passengers from Britain to the continent, or 50,000 more than usual.

Economically, however, the picture would be generally grim.

Travel and tourism account for up to 5 percent of Europe's economic output. Even if the number of travelers drops by just one person in five, Europe would have to scrap its hoped-for return to growth this year, said economic analyst Vanessa Rossi of the London research institute Chatham House.

The spin-off effects of a sharp drop in travel could wipe off 1 to 2 percent of GDP. "That basically means we've got a continued recession," Rossi said.

"If it persists, it's quite chaotic. You find ways through it, but it's going to be more costly," she said. "This is absolutely bad news at the wrong time. But nobody chooses a volcano to erupt. So that's it."

The International Air Transport Association calculated that the airlines lost $200 million a day during the first five days of the volcanic crisis, and carriers are looking to their governments for support.

Tim Clark, president of the Dubai-based Emirates airlines, said the worldwide airline industry faced the threat of "implosion" if the crisis lasts too long. Without government help, "there won't be many carriers left. You simply can't afford to shut down something the size of Europe," he said, putting Emirates' own losses at $10 million.

Countries like Greece and Portugal, already facing debt crises, need tourism to help them limp back to growth — plans that could go seriously awry under a longer eruption. The ripple effect would spread around our interconnected globe.

African agricultural exports, a big chunk of national economies, face potential collapse unless air freight could be replaced with refrigerated shipping containers.

Kenya, which exports 1,000 tons a day of fresh goods, threw away 10 million flowers — mostly roses — since the eruption began April 14. Asparagus, broccoli and green beans meant for European dinner tables was fed to Kenyan cattle because storage facilities were filled to capacity.

If flights remained disrupted, pineapples would soon pile up on farms in Ghana, since the airport has no refrigeration facilities.

European airports like Amsterdam's Schiphol are major transit points for travel between Africa and North America, and from Asia westward. If those airports couldn't receive flights, Europeans would stay home, more business would be done by teleconference, and the United States and the rest of the world would see a drop in travel revenue.

India's imports of rough diamonds from Antwerp and London have taken a hit, denying raw material for its huge diamond polishing industry. Exports of the prepared industrial diamonds and jewelry back to Europe and the U.S. would suffer if flights remain halted, said Chandrakant Sanghvi, regional chairman of India's Gem and Jewelry Export Promotion Council.

Other businesses say they are coping with interrupted air supplies, but they appear not to have given much thought to long-term shutdowns of their supply chains. In the first week of the emergency, the focus was on finding solutions to immediate problems rather than on structural changes.

"I would say it's day-to-day," Ford spokesman Todd Nissen said in Detroit. "There's so many plants that could potentially be affected. ... It's such a complex system."

With its 50 Europe-based planes grounded, international delivery service DHL has engaged in creative routing, said Jorge Wiedemann from its corporate headquarters in Bonn, Germany. Air freight from the U.S. and other points was diverted to Spain, then put on a fleet of trucks. The centralized distribution system based in Leipzig was modified to add regional hubs, he said.

"We are dealing with it on a daily basis." Wiedemann said "So far it's going well and there is no major backlog. How long we can deal with a situation like that is something I can't answer."

Most European food markets rely on local produce, or crops from neighboring countries, especially in the summer. Nonperishable canned or packaged imports usually arrive by container ships.

Those people with a taste for papaya and other exotic produce will have to go without, and menus in high-end restaurants and sushi bars may be red-inked with "unavailable." One Boeing 747 with 110 tons of fish destined for Europe sat on the tarmac in the Middle East, among some 2,000 tons of other disrupted shipments.

Simon Tilford, chief economist of the Center for European Reform, put such breakdowns in the category of "inconveniences" rather than "an existential threat," even under the worst-case scenario.

"There's no doubt it would be very disruptive if it went on for that long. But I don't believe, unless it was a complete blanket on civilian air travel, that the impact on the economy will be that grave." he said.

"Europe is not a particularly trade-dependent economy," said Tilford. Most traffic of goods is internal among the 27 members of the European Union.

"The longer it goes on, the more time we have to find alternative ways of doing things," he said.

No travel = faltering economy.

I suspected it. I mean, with all your conservatism, your support of Sarah, your posting on Bulbagarden and assorted warcraft references, and everything else, it was a theory.

But now that you say you know someone from Newfoundland?

I know it for a fact. You have absolutely no taste

(PS: Not meant to be taken seriously.)

She's hotter than you are.

 

[ExitShikari]

Ireland-fag here, and just to let ya'll know that our airports are open again after a week or so of just no areoplanes going anywhere, at all.