freebo

Check the news sites but basically a cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland has caused all flights to/from and within the UK to be suspended until further notice. As the volcano erupted some weeks ago this could go on for some time, they just said on the BBC.

Kooky.

That's really not what I needed to hear right now, as my elderly mother in the NE of England has just been rushed to hospital, but thanks for alerting me to it.

freebo

I'm really sorry to hear that, I'm in the NE of England and can only assure you there are no effects on the ground at this stage. Hope everything turns out OK.

xzibit

I just heard this on R1 news. I was wondering why there seemed to be very few flights on my flight radar, now I know.

Could go on for quite a few days. Will cause havoc. Flying into volcanic ash will shut down engines, like the BA flight in 1982, so no getting around it.

Pollyana

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8621407.stm

Darn, its a week too early, I scheduled it for NEXT week!

Kapri

It said on the news that it won't affect us on the ground, it's higher up in the atmosphere so it's planes that will be affected.

Kooky.

That's my fear, if I need to get there.

bcworld

...and for anyone thinking this is a bit over the top or OH&S gone mad:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_9

Sorry to hear about your mum Seasider.

Pollyana

I agree, all jokes aside, I can see the sense in grounding planes after a large eruption like that. I remember the BA one well, not worth risking another incident.
Seasider, I wouldn't be too concerned as even if you do have to come over the ash cloud should have cleared by the time you get here. because of the backlog of passengers though if you have to travel, ring the airlines direct and make sure they know its a compassionate flight.

quoll

No, its a month late!!!! I put in a request for MARCH! not APRIL, who is the darn fool in charge of volcanoes these days?

Wol

I can't help feeling this is over-reaction and CYA.

Indonesia has volcanoes chucking up ash all the time, and aircraft are warned and fly around them: the high density of ash in the actual plume is dangerous but hundreds of miles away I don't see it being a real problem.

ozhappy981

So glad you are not in charge

Have a look here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8623534.stm

Please click "next" to see the next five pictures; they show how the cloud moves and how much of Europe it has now covered.

Even France had to shut down its northern airspace because the cloud now covers northern France as well.

bcworld

These are more dramatic and appear to show the ash settling in over UK and most of western Europe right up until at least Sunday...not sure though, my Norwegian's a little rusty! It could be that by then the ash is dispersed anough to allow flying.

http://met.no/?module=Articles;actio...icShow;ID=2873

kporte

Get him out the rain then!

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Volcanos have a nasty habit of rumbling on for weeks at a time. It will be interesting to see what happens if that turns out to be the case and flights are grounded each time there is an eruption. How many airlines would/could go under with that sort of disruption?