This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/8623534.stm
The article has changed 28 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Next version
| Version 16 | Version 17 |
|---|---|
| Europe faces prolonged air chaos | Europe faces prolonged air chaos |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Flights across much of Europe will be severely disrupted well into Saturday because of drifting ash ejected from a volcano in Iceland, officials said. | Flights across much of Europe will be severely disrupted well into Saturday because of drifting ash ejected from a volcano in Iceland, officials said. |
| Much of the airspace across northern and western Europe has been closed, and air control officials said some 17,000 flights would be cancelled on Friday. | Much of the airspace across northern and western Europe has been closed, and air control officials said some 17,000 flights would be cancelled on Friday. |
| Hundreds of thousands of passengers in Europe and around the world have been affected. | Hundreds of thousands of passengers in Europe and around the world have been affected. |
| Scientists say the volcano is still erupting but producing less ash. | Scientists say the volcano is still erupting but producing less ash. |
| COUNTRIES AFFECTED Airspace closed: BelgiumCzech RepublicDenmarkEstoniaFinlandLatviaLithuaniaNetherlandsSlovakia Partial closures: Austria (closures from Friday pm)France (northern airspace)Germany (most airports closed)Norway (limited flights in north)Poland (most airports closed)Republic of Ireland (most airspace opened Friday)Sweden (northern airspace opened Friday)UK In pictures: Flight disruption class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/8623806.stm">UK extends air restrictions class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/8624663.stm">Economic impact of closures | |
| Europe's intergovernmental air control agency, Eurocontrol, said it "expects around 11,000 flights to take place today in European airspace. On a normal day, we would expect 28,000." | Europe's intergovernmental air control agency, Eurocontrol, said it "expects around 11,000 flights to take place today in European airspace. On a normal day, we would expect 28,000." |
| Of about 300 transatlantic flights that would usually arrive in Europe in the morning, no more than 120 made it over, the agency said. | Of about 300 transatlantic flights that would usually arrive in Europe in the morning, no more than 120 made it over, the agency said. |
| "Forecasts suggest that the cloud of volcanic ash is continuing to move east and south-east and that the impact will continue for at least the next 24 hours," it said in a statement on Friday morning. | |
| More countries have moved to close their airspace, joining eight - the UK, Irish Republic, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium and the Netherlands - which banned flights on Thursday. | |
| France shut down 24 airports in the north of the country, including the main hub of Paris-Charles de Gaulle, while Germany had closed most of its airports by Friday morning. | France shut down 24 airports in the north of the country, including the main hub of Paris-Charles de Gaulle, while Germany had closed most of its airports by Friday morning. |
| At Frankfurt's airport, camp beds were laid out for tired travellers waiting for flights to resume. | At Frankfurt's airport, camp beds were laid out for tired travellers waiting for flights to resume. |
| The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia also closed their airspace. | The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia also closed their airspace. |
| Advertisement | Advertisement |
| Volcanologist Dr Hazel Rymer: "The ash is only dangerous if you want to fly into it" | Volcanologist Dr Hazel Rymer: "The ash is only dangerous if you want to fly into it" |
| Poland closed most of its airports on Friday, including Krakow in the south, where foreign leaders had planned to arrive for the state funeral of President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in a plane crash last Saturday. | Poland closed most of its airports on Friday, including Krakow in the south, where foreign leaders had planned to arrive for the state funeral of President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in a plane crash last Saturday. |
| The Kaczynski family said they wanted the funeral to go ahead as planned on Sunday. | The Kaczynski family said they wanted the funeral to go ahead as planned on Sunday. |
| Slovakia closed its airspace from 1500 (1300 GMT), while Austrian officials said they would start closing theirs from 1900 (1700 GMT). | |
| Czech authorities began to impose restrictions on Friday as well, adding that a complete closure was likely to follow. | Czech authorities began to impose restrictions on Friday as well, adding that a complete closure was likely to follow. |
| Britain's air traffic control body extended its restrictions on UK airspace until at least 0100 BST (0000 GMT) on Saturday. | |
| Exceptions allowed for Northern Ireland and western Scotland saw the first flight leave UK airspace since the ban was imposed, an Air Transat plane bound for Toronto from Glasgow. | |
| We can actually smell sulphur in the air here now from the volcano cloud Tim Farish, Oslo Volcanic ash: Your travel stories A guide to Iceland's volcanoes | |
| "In general, the situation is dynamic and subject to change," said a statement issued by the National Air Traffic Service on Friday morning. | |
| As the volcanic ash began drifting south, Sweden began reopening its northern airspace. Officials said restrictions further south would be lifted gradually on Friday. Norway allowed some flights in the north as well. | |
| The Irish Republic also opened its airspace apart from a block off the south coast, putting Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports back into operation. | The Irish Republic also opened its airspace apart from a block off the south coast, putting Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports back into operation. |
| Eurostar said its train services between London and Paris and Brussels were sold out on Friday, and urged people not to come to St Pancras station in London to look for tickets. | Eurostar said its train services between London and Paris and Brussels were sold out on Friday, and urged people not to come to St Pancras station in London to look for tickets. |
| Evacuation | |
| The volcano began erupting on Wednesday for the second time in a month, hurling a plume of ash 11km (seven miles) into the atmosphere. A 500m-wide fissure appeared at the top of the crater. | The volcano began erupting on Wednesday for the second time in a month, hurling a plume of ash 11km (seven miles) into the atmosphere. A 500m-wide fissure appeared at the top of the crater. |
| Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes as water carried pieces of ice reportedly the size of small houses down the mountain. A road along the flooded Markarfljot river was also cut in several places. | Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes as water carried pieces of ice reportedly the size of small houses down the mountain. A road along the flooded Markarfljot river was also cut in several places. |
| Matthew Roberts, from the Icelandic Met Office, told the BBC the eruption was weakening and it was no longer producing as much ash. | Matthew Roberts, from the Icelandic Met Office, told the BBC the eruption was weakening and it was no longer producing as much ash. |
| Advertisement | Advertisement |
| The scene at airports in Paris and Frankfurt | The scene at airports in Paris and Frankfurt |
| British health officials said the effects of the ash on people with existing respiratory conditions were "likely to be short term". | British health officials said the effects of the ash on people with existing respiratory conditions were "likely to be short term". |
| The last volcanic eruption beneath the glacier was on 20 March. The eruption prior to that started in 1821 - and continued for two years. | |
| Iceland lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the highly volatile boundary between the Eurasian and North American continental plates. | Iceland lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the highly volatile boundary between the Eurasian and North American continental plates. |
| Have you been affected by the volcanic eruption in Iceland or by disruptions to air traffic caused by volcanic ash? Send us your experiences using the form below. | Have you been affected by the volcanic eruption in Iceland or by disruptions to air traffic caused by volcanic ash? Send us your experiences using the form below. |
| Send your pictures or videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 if you are in the UK or+44 7725 100 100 if you are abroad. If you have a large file you can class="inlineText" href="http://bbcnewsupload.streamuk.com/" >upload it here. | |
| href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2780295.stm#yourpics" >Read the terms and conditions | |
| A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. | |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |