Ash closes Irish, Scottish airports
Source: Agencies |
May 6, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A NEW wave of dense volcanic ash from Iceland snarled air traffic yesterday in Ireland and Scotland, stranding tens of thousands of people and threatening to spill into the air space of England.
Ireland's key hub, Dublin Airport, admitted defeat for the day and canceled all flights until 4am today, marooning more than 30,000 passengers.
More than a dozen other airports throughout the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland shut down, too, as unseasonal winds pushed the engine-wrecking ash southwest back toward the Atlantic rather than northeast into the unpopulated Arctic.
The renewed volcanic-ash threat in the skies of Britain and Ireland this week, following a two-week lull, has tested the more precise safety rules adopted by European aviation authorities following the unprecedented April 14-20 closure of most northern European airspace.
Britain's Civil Aviation Authority said yesterday's ash threat might reach northwestern England and Wales but would miss the four major airports of London.
Authorities are seeking to stop flights only when the ash reaches certain density levels and gets within 100 kilometers of an airport's approach paths.
In Scotland, Glasgow Airport was closed yesterday but its eastern neighbor, Edinburgh, stayed open until midday - although most airlines canceled services there amid widespread confusion.
Scotland's leader, First Minister Alex Salmond, slammed the Civil Aviation Authority for issuing a vague, inaccurate statement overnight that resulted in unnecessary flight cancellations in eastern Scotland.
Budget carrier Ryanair also warned customers planning to fly out of several airports in the west and north of England to check the company's Website for possible closure announcements.
Ireland's key hub, Dublin Airport, admitted defeat for the day and canceled all flights until 4am today, marooning more than 30,000 passengers.
More than a dozen other airports throughout the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland shut down, too, as unseasonal winds pushed the engine-wrecking ash southwest back toward the Atlantic rather than northeast into the unpopulated Arctic.
The renewed volcanic-ash threat in the skies of Britain and Ireland this week, following a two-week lull, has tested the more precise safety rules adopted by European aviation authorities following the unprecedented April 14-20 closure of most northern European airspace.
Britain's Civil Aviation Authority said yesterday's ash threat might reach northwestern England and Wales but would miss the four major airports of London.
Authorities are seeking to stop flights only when the ash reaches certain density levels and gets within 100 kilometers of an airport's approach paths.
In Scotland, Glasgow Airport was closed yesterday but its eastern neighbor, Edinburgh, stayed open until midday - although most airlines canceled services there amid widespread confusion.
Scotland's leader, First Minister Alex Salmond, slammed the Civil Aviation Authority for issuing a vague, inaccurate statement overnight that resulted in unnecessary flight cancellations in eastern Scotland.
Budget carrier Ryanair also warned customers planning to fly out of several airports in the west and north of England to check the company's Website for possible closure announcements.
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