Disruption again for travellers as ash closes airports

TENS OF THOUSANDS of intending travellers will face continuing disruption today after the return of volcanic ash into Irish airspace prompted the closure of several airports.

Dublin airport was the worst affected, with almost 300 flights cancelled last night and this morning, affecting the travel plans of at least 36,000 passengers.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) announced an extension of airspace closure last night after earlier imposing restrictions on a number of airports.

The authority said the move came after extensive observations of the drift of the ash cloud. Volcanic activity and the latest weather forecasts indicated “an increased quantity of ash over Irish airspace”.

The latest closures came after northwesterly winds pushed high concentrations of ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano southeastwards from Iceland.

Airports in Donegal, Sligo, Belfast, Galway and Knock were the first to close, yesterday morning, followed by Dublin airport at 7pm. North Atlantic overflights through Irish airspace were unaffected. Dublin airport is to remain closed until noon today at the earliest, but Sligo, Galway, Waterford and Knock were due to open early this morning. Cork and Shannon airports are unaffected.

The decision to close the airports came after the aviation authority carried out a number of observational flights at different altitudes across Ireland. Four aircraft, two from Europe and two from Ireland, flew into areas where forecasters predicted the ash cloud would be and carried out visual and technical tests.

The results were assessed “in the interest of passenger safety” and in consultation with other aviation authorities, the authority said.

While last night’s update extended the closure of Irish-controlled airspace, Met Éireann said the cloud was likely to move away from the country today.

A southwesterly airflow is expected over the country and meteorologists predict the cloud – currently measuring 900 miles by 800 miles – will gradually be pushed away to the northeast.

This airflow is expected to persist through the rest of the week and should keep the ash away from Irish airspace.

Dublin Airport Authority spokeswoman Siobhán Moore said passengers whose flights had been cancelled should not travel to the airport, but should contact airlines instead.

Those with reservations for flights that have not been cancelled are advised to come to the airport on time. Delays are expected, however, as not all aircraft may be in place, and airlines may have to focus on positioning aircraft and crews.

The IAA will provide further updates throughout the day. Passengers hoping to fly have been advised to regularly check their airline websites and the authority’s website before going to the airport.

Northern Ireland’s three airports were closed yesterday. All flights into Belfast International, George Best Belfast City Airport and City of Derry Airport were cancelled until 1am.

Many airports across Britain were also closed as a no-fly zone was established by the country’s Civil Aviation Authority.

Airports inside the no-fly zone in England and Wales include Carlisle, Teesside, Humberside, Leeds Bradford, Blackpool, Ronaldsway, Caernarfon, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Doncaster, Norwich, Birmingham and East Midlands.

In Scotland the no-fly zone includes the Western Isles, Campbeltown, Prestwick and Oban.

London’s main airports remained clear of the no-fly zone, but further disruption is expected as the cloud moves further south over England.

Forecasters have predicted closures may include the southeast, where Europe’s busiest airport, Heathrow, is located. Iceland’s meteorological office said yesterday there were no signs the eruption was about to end.

The economic effect of the disruption was highlighted last week when figures released by the IAA revealed that 4,743 flights to and from Ireland were cancelled during the April 15th-May 10th period at a cost of €8 million to the authority.

In Europe, 104,000 flights were cancelled. The International Air Transport Association has estimated that airlines lost €1.5 billion during April alone.