Ash forces trans-Atlantic flights north
Source: Agencies |
May 11, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A BAND of volcanic ash was drifting in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean yesterday, adding hours to flights from North America to Europe as planes diverted around it.
Flights across Europe were operating normally after the dispersal of another plume of volcanic ash that disrupted air traffic and forced some airport closures over the weekend, aviation officials said.
Airlines pushed authorities for an official determination on when airlines could fly through areas of light contamination. Most of the clouds over Europe have contained such light concentrations of ash.
Air traffic charts showed that airliners on both the westward and eastward tracks across the Atlantic were being diverted far to the north, over Greenland, to avoid the danger zone around the Icelandic volcano whose eruptions forced a five-day suspension of air traffic in Europe last month.
The resulting travel chaos saw the cancellation of more than 100,000 flights - stranding passengers around the world and causing airlines direct losses of more than 1 billion euros (US$1.3 billion).
The Association of European Airlines said the losses caused by this weekend's disruptions, which affected less than 2 percent of scheduled flights, were likely to be negligible.
"Trans-Atlantic traffic has ... not been severely disrupted, but there has been lengthy re-routings which affected fuel burn," said David Henderson, a spokesman for the group.
Eurocontrol said all airports in Europe were operating normally yesterday, including those in Spain. Up to 20 Spanish airports, including international hub Barcelona, had closed over the weekend. Lisbon airport also reopened after being forced to close.
But Eurocontrol warned that a finger of oceanic ash was still threatening parts of the Iberian peninsula.
Flights across Europe were operating normally after the dispersal of another plume of volcanic ash that disrupted air traffic and forced some airport closures over the weekend, aviation officials said.
Airlines pushed authorities for an official determination on when airlines could fly through areas of light contamination. Most of the clouds over Europe have contained such light concentrations of ash.
Air traffic charts showed that airliners on both the westward and eastward tracks across the Atlantic were being diverted far to the north, over Greenland, to avoid the danger zone around the Icelandic volcano whose eruptions forced a five-day suspension of air traffic in Europe last month.
The resulting travel chaos saw the cancellation of more than 100,000 flights - stranding passengers around the world and causing airlines direct losses of more than 1 billion euros (US$1.3 billion).
The Association of European Airlines said the losses caused by this weekend's disruptions, which affected less than 2 percent of scheduled flights, were likely to be negligible.
"Trans-Atlantic traffic has ... not been severely disrupted, but there has been lengthy re-routings which affected fuel burn," said David Henderson, a spokesman for the group.
Eurocontrol said all airports in Europe were operating normally yesterday, including those in Spain. Up to 20 Spanish airports, including international hub Barcelona, had closed over the weekend. Lisbon airport also reopened after being forced to close.
But Eurocontrol warned that a finger of oceanic ash was still threatening parts of the Iberian peninsula.
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