Volcanic Ash and European Flights

The ash being spewed by the volcano in Iceland is causing serious havoc with air travel to and from Europe for Americans and for flights between European cities. For the 5th day, flights have been cancelled in half of Europe.

"Half of Europe Flights Could Resume Monday; Airlines Press for Service
Published on: April 19, 2010


The European Union said air traffic could return to 50 percent of its normal level Monday if forecasts confirm that skies over half the continent are clearing of volcanic ash from the erupting volcano in Iceland. At the same time, it appeared that some efforts by airlines to persuade European governments to open the skies again were having an effect. EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said: “We cannot just wait until this ash cloud dissipates.” There also were reports that European ministers would meet Monday to coordinate efforts to reopen air space.

Airports Council International Europe (ACIE), whose members handle 48 percent of European air traffic, issued a statement Sunday calling for an immediate reassessment of flight restrictions. “While Europe’s airlines and airports consider safety to be an absolute priority, they are questioning the proportionality of the flight restrictions currently imposed,” the ACIE said. "The eruption of the Icelandic volcano is not an unprecedented event and the procedures applied in other parts of the world for volcanic eruptions do not appear to require the kind of restrictions that are presently being imposed in Europe.

Added Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus, secretary general of the Association of European Airlines: “Verification flights undertaken by several of our airlines have revealed no irregularities at all. This confirms our requirement that other options should be deployed to determine genuine risks. For example, the FAA has a world-established process of identifying clear no-fly zones. Airlines must be able to fly where it is safe to fly and make decisions accordingly. It is what our passengers demand of us.”

Earlier Sunday, much of European airspace remained closed, as the unprecedented air traffic disaster entered its fifth day. British Airways said it has cancelled all flights through Monday. A British Airways spokesman said that “every single flight is cancelled” through Monday. Britain’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) extended its flight ban until at least 7 a.m. Monday. The NATS website is experiencing such heavy traffic that the agency has taken the site offline and has put up a holding page for posting updates on the impact of the volcano on flights. British Airports Authority, which oversees most airports in the United Kingdom, is relaying NATS information on its website at www.baa.co.uk.

Meanwhile, KLM said it wanted to resume passenger flights as soon as possible after it flew a test flight through the cloud of ash without suffering any damage. KLM said that by midday Sunday it had flown four planes through what it described as a gap in the layer of microscopic volcanic ash over Holland and Germany. Air France, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines also sent up test flights, although most traveled below the altitudes where the ash has been heavily concentrated. KLM Chief Executive Peter Hartman, who was aboard the 737 that flew the test flight on Saturday, said the airline hoped to receive permission as soon as possible to resume service. He said KLM saw no irregularities during the flight and found none in post-flight inspections.

In Germany, Lufthansa flew 10 empty planes to Frankfurt from Munich at low altitude on Saturday under visual flight rules, in which pilots don't have to rely on their instruments. Germany’s civil aviation authority said that it had also allowed similar ferry flights by Air Berlin and Condor.

Countries where airspace was still closed as of Sunday included Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K. Countries experiencing partial air space closures included Italy (northern airspace closed until Monday), Norway (limited flights in north) and Spain (northern airports closed). Countries were flights were operating included Greece, Portugal, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. Airlines flying in Europe are reportedly losing a collective $200 million a day. For more information on what airports are open and what flights are still scheduled, visit www.flightstats.com or www.flightwise.com."

I have clients currently in route home from Rome and their flight has taken off as scheduled but my concern is for clients set to travel to Ireland over the weekend. Great Britain has been hit hard and it will be touch and go for the next few days.

This is just another major reason why travel insurance should be part of every vacation package booked.