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Air travel 'facing days of chaos' Ash shuts major European airports
(about 3 hours later)
Most major European airports have been closed as a plume of volcanic ash drifts south from Iceland across the continent, bringing travel chaos. Virtually all of Europe's major airports remain closed as a huge plume of volcanic ash drifts south across the continent from Iceland.
Air traffic suspensions are now in force in more than a dozen countries in an unprecedented move. Millions of air travellers are stranded across Europe after some 16,000 flights were cancelled on Friday.
UK air traffic control said "current forecasts show that the situation is worsening throughout Saturday". Britain and Ireland have re-imposed flight bans, warning of "worsening" conditions throughout Saturday.
Thousands of travellers are stranded and airlines are losing an estimated $200m each day. Airlines are losing some £130m ($200m) a day in the biggest airspace shutdown since World War II.
COUNTRIES AFFECTED Airspace closed: BelgiumCzech RepublicDenmarkEstonia FinlandHungaryLatviaNetherlandsSlovakiaSwitzerland Partial closures: Austria France (northern airspace, with Paris airports closed until 1200 GMT Saturday)Germany (most airports closed)Italy (northern airspace closed until 1200 GMT Saturday)Lithuania (air traffic control leaving decision to fly to individual companies)Norway (limited flights in north)PolandRepublic of Ireland (most airspace opened Friday)Sweden (northern airspace opened Friday)UK (some restrictions lifted) In pictures: Flight disruption href="/2/hi/uk_news/8626404.stm">Flights allowed over parts of UK Economic impact of closures COUNTRIES AFFECTED Airspace closed: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland, UK Partial closures: AustriaFrance (northern airspace, with Paris airports closed until 1200 GMT Saturday)Italy (northern airspace closed until 1200 GMT Saturday)Lithuania (air traffic control leaving decision to fly to individual companies)Norway (limited flights in north)PolandSweden (northern airspace opened Friday) In pictures: Flight disruption href="/2/hi/uk_news/8626686.stm">UK becomes no-flight zone again Economic impact of closures
"The knock-on effect of the volcanic ash plume over northern Europe is likely to disrupt European airspace for several days," said the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (Canso), a global association of air traffic control companies. "Current forecasts show that the situation is worsening throughout Saturday," said the UK's National Air Traffic Service (Nats).
"Traffic will have to be reorganised and rerouted and flights replanned, all on a dynamic and quite unpredictable basis," it said in a statement. Britain extended its ban on commercial flights until at least 0100 local time on Sunday (2400 GMT on Saturday).
Many countries and airlines have grounded fleets amid fears that the ash - a mixture of glass, sand and rock particles, drifting from 5,000ft (1,500 metres) - could be catastrophic to aircraft. Eurocontrol, which coordinates air traffic control in 38 nations, said the ash was moving east and southeast and warned of "significant disruption of air traffic".
In some of the biggest disruption in commercial aviation history, a swathe of northern European sky was empty of aircraft on Friday. Many countries and airlines have grounded fleets amid fears that the ash - a mixture of glass, sand and rock particles, drifting from 5,000ft (1,500m) - could be catastrophic to aircraft.
About two-thirds of the 28,000 daily flights in the affected zone were cancelled, while only half the usual number of flights between Europe and North America operated. About two-thirds of the 28,000 daily flights in the affected zone were cancelled on Friday, while only half the usual number of flights between Europe and North America operated.
Among the latest developments: The disruption has affected hundreds of thousands of travellers since Wednesday when the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano began erupting for the second time in a month.
  • The UK's National Air Traffic Service (Nats) said current restrictions to UK air space would remain in place until at least 1800 GMT on Saturday, with the same restriction reimposed air space over Scotland and Northern Ireland, which had been partially open
  • Ryanair cancelled all flights in northern Europe until 1300 GMT on Monday
  • All 16 international airports in Germany closed
  • All Dutch airspace will remain closed until at least 1200 GMT on Saturday
  • British Airways has cancelled all flights in and out of London on Saturday
The cloud of ash is drifting across an area including the UK, Scandinavia, Poland, northern France and Austria, towards Russia at about 25 mph (40 km/h).
Major hubsMajor hubs
href="/2/hi/in_pictures/8624661.stm">In pictures: Flight disruption href="/2/hi/uk_news/8625813.stm">Iceland volcano in maps class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/8624929.stm">Volcanic ash: Your travel stories
Some 20 countries shut down all or most of their airspace, although restrictions were gradually lifted in Sweden, Ireland and Norway.
Europe's busiest airports, including Heathrow, Frankfurt and Charles de Gaulle, have been affected by the closures.Europe's busiest airports, including Heathrow, Frankfurt and Charles de Gaulle, have been affected by the closures.
The disruption has affected hundreds of thousands of travellers since Wednesday when the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano began erupting for the second time in a month. All 16 international airports in Germany were closed on Saturday and German airline Lufthansa cancelled all its flights until at least 2000 local time (1800 GMT), a spokesman for the company said.
"The authorities here are saying that this will continue regularly at least into tomorrow, so the ash will continue to spread," Gunnar Gestur Geirmundsson, an Icelander at the site of the eruption, told the BBC late on Friday. "There has never been anything like this," he said, adding that there were no Lufthansa planes in the air anywhere in the world.
"It is an amazing scene with a lot of frozen ice on the ground from the glacier and the volcano erupting above."
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Fresh pictures of the Icelandic ash cloud and grim news for travellers from Eurocontrol
Unable to catch flights, commuters across northern Europe have sought other means of transport, packing out trains, buses and ferries.Unable to catch flights, commuters across northern Europe have sought other means of transport, packing out trains, buses and ferries.
The Eurostar cross-channel rail service said it had never seen so many passengers on one day and the trains are fully booked until Monday.The Eurostar cross-channel rail service said it had never seen so many passengers on one day and the trains are fully booked until Monday.
The large no-fly zone also means that some world leaders might have difficulty attending the funeral of the Polish president on Sunday.The large no-fly zone also means that some world leaders might have difficulty attending the funeral of the Polish president on Sunday.
We can actually smell sulphur in the air here now from the volcano cloud Tim Farish, Oslo Eyewitness: Icelandic volcano Volcano in graphics Volcanic ash: Your travel stories A guide to Iceland's volcanoes
German Chancellor Angela Merkel had to touch down in Portugal for an unscheduled overnight stay on her way back from the US, while the disruption also forced the cancellation of the inaugural Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to London.German Chancellor Angela Merkel had to touch down in Portugal for an unscheduled overnight stay on her way back from the US, while the disruption also forced the cancellation of the inaugural Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to London.
US pop star Whitney Houston was forced to take a car ferry from Britain to Ireland for a concert after her flight was cancelled.US pop star Whitney Houston was forced to take a car ferry from Britain to Ireland for a concert after her flight was cancelled.
In addition to the impact on commuters, the grounding of thousands of flights has cost airlines about $200m a day, according to the International Air Transport Association.
SAS says that it will temporarily lay off up to 2,500 employees in Norway from Monday, if flights remain grounded.
Finnair, which says it is losing 2m euros a day in the current situation, said it would stop paying salaries to staff if it was not resolved within a fortnight.
Evacuation
Fresh flooding meanwhile has hit the area around Eyjafjallajoekull volcano, as hot gases melted the glacier.
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.
MONITORING ASH CLOUD FLIGHT DISRUPTION Flightradar24.com, which monitors aircraft in flight, shows the impact of the ash cloud as the area affected by closures expands south across EuropeMONITORING ASH CLOUD FLIGHT DISRUPTION Flightradar24.com, which monitors aircraft in flight, shows the impact of the ash cloud as the area affected by closures expands south across Europe
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 any effects of the ash on people with existing respiratory conditions were "likely to be short term".
The last eruption of the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano was on 20 March, when a 0.5km-long fissure opened up on the eastern side of the glacier at the Fimmvoerduhals Pass. The eruption prior to that started in 1821 - and continued intermittently for more than a year.The last eruption of the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano was on 20 March, when a 0.5km-long fissure opened up on the eastern side of the glacier at the Fimmvoerduhals Pass. The eruption prior to that started in 1821 - and continued intermittently for more than a year.
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 upload it here.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 upload it here.
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