Volcano ash closes UK airports

 

 

 

Passengers waiting at Glasgow Airport, which has been shut due to ash from a volcano

Airline passengers are facing massive disruption after ash from Iceland's volcanic eruption moves towards UK airspace causing a number of airports to close.

 

Newcastle, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast airports are shut and five easyJet flights due to depart from Stansted Airport have been cancelled as a result of the huge plume of ash.

 

A spokeswoman also said all Manchester Airport flights would be disrupted between 7am and 1pm.

 

Airports have urged travellers to contact their airlines to check whether flights were affected. A spokeswoman for Stansted Airport said: "Following advice from the Met Office, the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) has introduced restrictions to UK airspace this morning as a result of volcanic ash drifting across the United Kingdom from Iceland."

 

Later, a spokeswoman said: "The Met Office and National Air Traffic Services (NATS) have placed restrictions on UK airspace as a result of volcanic ash drifting across the country from Iceland. These severe restrictions will cause disruption to all flights to and from Manchester Airport between 0700 and 1300. We would like to apologise to passengers travelling today for the inconvenience that this will cause."

 

Newcastle International Airport said its airspace was closed at 7am, stopping flights in and out. A spokeswoman said: "At this stage we are unaware of how long the airport's airspace will be closed, and we are in regular contact with National Air Traffic Services and the Met Office."

 

Airlines also issued warnings of potential disruption. A spokeswoman for easyJet said: "Following the eruption of a volcano in Iceland, an ash plume has entered UK and Scandinavian airspace overnight. As a result NATS have closed parts of UK airspace and this is causing significant disruption to all airlines due to operate flights to and from the UK today."

 

Forecasters believe the ash could take a number of days to disperse. Matt Dobson, a forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "The concern is that as well as the eruption, the jet stream passing through Iceland is passing in a south easterly direction, which will bring ash to the north of Scotland and Denmark and Norway. But it is impossible to say how much ash will come down."

 

A spokesman from Nats said: "The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre has issued a forecast that the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Iceland will track over Europe. NATS is working with Eurocontrol and our colleagues in Europe's other air navigation service providers to take the appropriate action to ensure safety in accordance with international aviation policy

 

All flights to and from the UK will be stopped between 12 midday and 6pm including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.

Just my luck flying out tomorrow Think the start of this trip is going to go tits up

Fecking Iceland what have they given us, Bad Debt, now this GRRRRRR

Just my luck flying out tomorrow Think the start of this trip is going to go tits up

Fecking Iceland what have they given us, Bad Debt, now this GRRRRRR

 

This is what happens when they change their name from Bejams!

well they voted in a lesbian prime minister who then banned all strip clubs .. the icelandic god of p4p is very unhappy .. very unhappy indeed ..

Latest is that earliest flight from/to the UK allowed at 7AM Friday. Now the bad news, this wont clear up in a day or two, the ash will hang over Europe for at least a week and if there are any significant new eruptions much much longer.

Thats me boycotting Iceland....I blame Kerry McFadden for them fuckin adverts....

 

relevant

First Iceland goes bust and then bang GRRRRR!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/public/air.shtml

 

list of all UK airports and the minimum delays

It could be months beforew planes are flying again u Europeans depending on how long the eruption lasts haveing your engines stop because of volcanic ash is not a good way to fly

Quick update- no flights leaving or arriving frm UK until at 'least' 7pm tonight !!!!

Some good news for those stuck here.............

 

Thai immigration to waive overstay fee for stranded foreigners

 

Thai Immigration Bureau has instructed all immigration ports in Thailand to waive fee for visa overstay for foreigner stranded in Thailand with proof of the following;

 

* flight details shown they are due to fly on flights which are disrupted by the airspace closure (Volcano Ash)

* visa stamp in passport expired on and after 15 April 2010

* As of now, the waive will apply till 30 April 2010

 

-- Thai Immigration Bureau 2010-04-19

As the airports are starting to get ready to open again looks like I still may be able to get flying in on Sunday.

Hope so Emirates will refund or let me change ny dates. But I paid nearly £600 for the Dusit and it is go or lose the money.

As the airports are starting to get ready to open again looks like I still may be able to get flying in on Sunday.

Hope so Emirates will refund or let me change ny dates. But I paid nearly £600 for the Dusit and it is go or lose the money.

Where are you flying from bobby .?EK will be up soon like most off them

cheers chris

Flights North of Blackpool and Teeside set to commence again today. The volcano is now producing more steam than ash and therefore there is a window for flights from the whole of the UK to depart on 21st April. All crews have been briefed on the possibility of encountering ash and should keep uptodate with the latest information from NATS i'm told. There is a chance of the volcano erupting again over the next 2 months so watch this space !

 

BB

Oh and forgot to add that the ash is moving towards Scandinavia and Canada as well as parts of Central Europe. It reaches a height of between 20,000ft and 35,000ft so best to fly direct BKK to UK and hopefully avoid it laterally rather than vertically (planes normally cruise at approx. 30,000ft at full weight). Don't be surprised if you get stuck in Italy or Eastern Europe though so take a jacket with you!

 

BB