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Warning of ash flight disruption | Warning of ash flight disruption |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Parts of the UK's airspace are at risk of closure from Sunday because of volcanic activity in Iceland, the Department for Transport has said. | Parts of the UK's airspace are at risk of closure from Sunday because of volcanic activity in Iceland, the Department for Transport has said. |
Disruption could hit airports in south-east England until Tuesday, it warned. | |
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said the situation was "fluid" but that passenger safety was the top priority. | |
British Airways will discuss the likely impact with air traffic control body, Nats. Airport operator BAA said the situation would be clearer by Sunday. | |
Ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano has caused disruption to thousands of flights since April. | |
Airspace across Europe was shut down for five days following concerns that ash could turn to molten glass in high temperatures, crippling plane engines. | Airspace across Europe was shut down for five days following concerns that ash could turn to molten glass in high temperatures, crippling plane engines. |
Scientists and engineers have since revised the safe-to-fly threshold, but clouds of volcanic ash have continued to drift over Europe, causing airport closures, flight delays and cancellations. | |
It's good to have information in advance but we are acutely aware that things can change quickly BAA spokesman | |
In the past week, several airports in southern Europe have been forced to close and flights have been re-routed. | |
Ministers agreed on Saturday that five-day ash prediction charts would be made available on the Met Office website. | |
"Within this timeframe, different parts of UK airspace - including airspace in the south east - are likely to be closed at different times," the Department of Transport said in a statement. | |
Previous forecasts were only given for the following 18 hours. | Previous forecasts were only given for the following 18 hours. |
Transport Secretary Mr Hammond said the five-day forecasts would ensure "airlines, other transport providers and the public [had] the best possible information". | |
But he stressed the situation "remained fluid" and the forecasts - based on assumptions about future volcanic activity and prevailing weather conditions - were "always liable to change". | But he stressed the situation "remained fluid" and the forecasts - based on assumptions about future volcanic activity and prevailing weather conditions - were "always liable to change". |
"Nats - the UK's air traffic services provider - will advise of any airspace closures as and when they become necessary and I urge passengers to check with their airlines before taking any action," he added. | "Nats - the UK's air traffic services provider - will advise of any airspace closures as and when they become necessary and I urge passengers to check with their airlines before taking any action," he added. |
'No firm details' | |
A spokesman for BAA, which operates Heathrow, Stansted and Southampton airports in the south of England and Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports in Scotland, welcomed the new five-day forecasts. | |
"It's good to have information in advance but we are acutely aware that things can change quickly," he said. | |
"Over the next 24 hours we'll have a much clearer idea how it will affect southern England," he added. | |
A British Airways spokesman said: "There is a possibility of some disruption of airspace but we can't give any firm details yet," he said. | |
"The public will understand if there are some disruptions. It is out of our hands. | |
BA is facing strike action in the coming days, potentially adding to travel disruption. |