Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

http://www.24dash.com/news/Communiti...at-UK-airports

http://www.u.tv/News/Volcanic-ash-di...5-1a51a27e30a3

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

More effective than a bunch of striking BA workers!

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

:shocked:

Complete shutdown from midday. No flights allowed into UK airspace from then and I'd assume nothing taking off either. Ireland is pretty well shut down as well.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

If this goes on for long I imagine there'll be chaos for some time afterwards. We have a relative supposed to be flying back to NZ at the weekend.... :erm:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Just be glad that the major part of the cloud has missed Europe altogether.. It's gone north of Norway

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

This is really bad new, Mr Tink is due to fly back from Germany tomorrow.:(

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Awww sorry to hear that Tinks, fingers crossed he's back home soon!

I don't know... first we have the fallout from Iceland's banks to deal with an now it's fallout from their volcanoes... :)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Unfortunately it's ash not cash. :(

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Ah well, we 're mired in an ocean of debt so a mountain of ash probably won't make much difference.. :D

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Ahem! Let's watch the political inferences folks.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

And what is more concerning is that this Volcano usually erupts when it's neighbour does... :erm: and it is under a massive sheet of ice apparently.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Mrs. F. should be on a flight back from Italy right now. Needless to say she isn't :(

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Got this link off the Sky website - it shows up to the minute information on every plane in the Sky over europe.

UK air traffic is absolutely dead apart from the lower South regions...

http://www.radarvirtuel.com/?lat=54....3671875&zoom=5

Btw - this page does not work well in IE - try another browser.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

My brother is meant to be flying back from Amsterdam tonight and then to Spain tomorrow evening. Got a feeling it isn't going to happen.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

A friend was supposed to be flying up from Heathrow this afternoon en route from Mumbai. Luckily his plane got in from India early this morning so now he's sat on a coach on his way up to Manchester Airport.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

It looks like the missus won't be coming back until Saturday at the earliest...

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

This report is also the story of a British Airways B747 that hit such a cloud back in 1982. I just love the following comment

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Hmm a huge dust cloud has closed all the airports, volcanic activity or The Emirates trophy cabinet being cleaned out again :shrug:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Mind you if you read the report of the 82 incident the other big problems was that the ash sand blaster the windscreen and they couldn't see the runway in front of them, they had to use a narrow 2" gap on number 2 window.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I have spoken with the pilot of that aircraft and honestly hearing it direct from him made it so much more scary! How they kept calm during it I will never understand.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I was beginning to thank god that his story broke to stop the 24/7 news of the election, no I'm not so sure, as I have had BBC News 24 and for the last 4 hours its been nothing but UK irports shut.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I did think it funny earlier that the reporter who was interviewing a spokesman for Air Traffic Control, and he appeared to be trying to get the ATC spokesman to say that UK airspace will be closed for days and to describe the chaos that will ensue. The ATC spokesman, of course, was saying none of that (they don't know, so it would be bad to speculate). Then, back in the studio, they had a volcanologist who they were asking if people with respiratory problems should worry, to which the reply was that they should in Iceland, all we are likely to see is some pretty sunsets...

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

On Nat Geo +1 i'm watching the '82 incident.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

If it does we can say goodbye to summer! Wasn't it an Icelandic volcano that caused a long period of cold weather in England in the middle ages?

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

well you're a cheery soul! Im going buying a BBQ and patio furniture tomorrow, dont be jinxing my summer :p:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I was due to go on hols..sigh...I didn't expect boss to invoke earth spirits to stop me :)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

You don't want to buy it now, it's much cheaper in September/October. :)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Well it's official Mr Tink's flight has been cancelled. Don't know when he will be back now, but expect Monday at the earliest. Miss him like crazy!:(:(:(

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Might get a nice sunset out of this :), possibly the chance of a parsons ring. I mean a bishops ring

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Are you going on a date with a man of the cloth?:angel::D

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

This should really be in the happy thoughts thread

Is laughing at the fact the Belgium has closed its airspace, and his former employer has some 50 aircraft unable to deliver it parcels.

How much is it gonna cost them, well I reckon at £50,000 per aircraft a day, that is a nice tidy £2,500,000 a day.

Happy days :D

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Any particular reason that this misfortune makes you so happy mate? Or have i missed something here ? :erm:

---------- Post added at 20:55 ---------- Previous post was at 20:52 ----------

I`m waiting for my Daughter and Grand Daughter to come into Heathrow tomorrow at 1.15pm tomorrow afternoon from Abu Dhabi, any news on when that flight might come in? EYO19. ?:erm:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

The company I worked for shut down it UK side and moved it in the Belgium HQ, making 91 Brits out of work.

So the more grief this company gets the happier I am :D

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Oooh just looked at sunset and there is definately a bluey green glow not sure if its connected but its nice to think it is ;)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

This is a link to Heathow, you can check flight info there.

http://www.heathrowairport.com/porta...b12871120103a0

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I read earlier that the cloud is 6 miles up but our planes fly at 35,000 feet, how does it make it dangerous at the two levels?:(

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

35,000 ft is 6.5 miles

---------- Post added at 21:16 ---------- Previous post was at 21:13 ----------

The dust cloud goes up to 50,000 ft.

I wouldn't want to be I a plane at the moment in Europe

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Ok. Thanks for that info mate.:)

Where else in the world is this cloud? Or is it just over the UK at the moment?

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

It's mainly over NW Europe at the moment.

Shows the predict spread in the next few days.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8623534.stm

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Thank you.;)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

My mistake, it was in 1783 it last erupted.

"If the volcanologists are right, we could be in for a bumpy ride. The last time Iceland had a colossal eruption was in 1783. Laki, a fissure close to the GrÃ*msvötn volcano, burst open and threw up fountains of lava and clouds of ash for eight months. The poisonous sulphur dioxide gas killed over half of Iceland's livestock population and led to a famine that wiped out about a quarter of Iceland's population.
Meanwhile, as the cloud blew south it wreaked havoc over Europe, too. "This outpouring of sulphur dioxide during unusual weather conditions caused a thick haze to spread across western Europe, resulting in thousands of deaths throughout 1783 and the winter of 1784," says Jerram. The fog was so thick that boats across Europe were forced to stay in port."

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Latest air closure news is no UK flights until at very least midnight tonight (GMT)

Czech airspace has also just announced partial closure of thier airspace with Prague airport due to cease operations from 10:00 GMT

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

With regards to the health issues they have said, warning people with asthma and such to be carefull out side, what about pets?

My sister has a rabbit that when they are home has free run of the garden, and there kitchen.

Should they bring him into the house (he has been brought indoors when the weather was really cold outside), as he eats he grass that could be contaminated?

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Eating isn;t a problem it's breathing in the fine dust that could be the problem..

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

When the dust starts to come low enough to affect us would we smell the sulphur or would the smell have disappeared by the time it lands on us? :dunce:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I actually doubt if we'll get much of it.. It'll stay up for quite a bit

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Thanks Kymmy.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Just posted on the NATS website. :mad:
http://www.nats.co.uk/

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I know you are missing your girls budwieser but at least you know they are safe and if they were to fly home now you would be worried to death. :hugs:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Thanks Jo,
Etihad Airways have put them up in the Capital Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Everythings included.:) My Daughter says its the best airline she`s ever flown with and as for my Grand Daughter, she`s loving every minute of her adventure.! :D
Can`t wait to get them home though.:(:)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Jammy so and sos

If you have to be delayed then this is the way to do it (for free)

http://www.aldiarhotels.com/site/main/capital.php

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

It's starting to look unlikely that the missus will be flying home tomorrow. First available alternative is on Tuesday :shocked:

She's looking into trains and ferries now to travel from Italy to the UK, so she won't make it before Monday. That's if she can get tickets...

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I believe that was due to a small decrease in the suns solar output.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Michelles got a suite with a kitchen and a seaview!:)
Sooner have them home here though but at least they`re safe where they are.;)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Been keeping an eye on this, although hopefully it wont affect my wife & I who are due to fly out in 3 weeks (unless the winds continue to blow the ash south) I have some friends who are\were due to fly out and are now in limbo. One flying home to Oz for a 3 week vacation and another off to Lanzagrottie for a week (tomorrow)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

My girls were on their way home from Melbourne after seeing my Grand Daughters dad for 3 weeks.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Seems really odd not having planes taking off or landing every 5 minutes or so. Normally you can hear a faint rumble coming form the airport, oh to live in a world without planes!

Best wishes for anyone effected by this strange event, it does seem odd though because the sky is clear as a bell! :Sun:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I agree - there was a news helicopter in the sky earlier when i was at the school and it was so alien to see something in the sky :shocked:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

The wife is now booked on a flight to Dublin on Sunday evening, planning to then take a ferry over to the UK on Monday. That's assuming the Italian airspace remains open. :erm:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Well John Cleese was in Oslo and is getting a taxi to Brussels and gonna cost £3,300

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Sho...Cancels_Flight

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

WOW!!!!!!!! Can i get my girls a cab from Abu Dhabi to here in Cambridge?:erm: Wonder how much that would cost?:D

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Well if you work out at about £3,500 per 1,000 miles you get an answer.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :dozey::D

£3.50 a mile. I think thats what my 406 is costing me at the moment.:D

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Ouch, and i thought paying £65 for my lad to get home from Rochester after he missed the last train was bad enough. I still reckon my £70(including tip) probably left more of a dent than Mr Cleese`s £3,300 did though.:erm:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

My daughter got to Sydney airport to come home after a two week holiday.
She's been told she can't board because of the backlog of passengers.
She says she could be there for another week - I do hope she was joking - she's having her tonsils out next Friday :-)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I've been offered cover work for a teacher who supposedly can't get back in time for Monday..

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

All flights grounded again http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8626686.stm



webcam of volcano
http://eldgos.mila.is/eyjafjallajokull-fra-valahnjuk/

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

They do say that Egypt's Biblical great plagues were caused by volcanic activity.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagues...l_explanations

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I'm stuck in Lisbon. Flight was booked back to London for Sunday, but it seems I will be here till at least Monday (and that's me being optimistic).

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Have the airline put you up in a hotel (as they are supposed to do if they are an EU airline)?

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I assume that as my flight wasn't due back till Sunday, they are only liable to do that from Sunday night right? Plus if I read right I should get a refund on my flight tickets if flight is delayed by more than 5 hours?

---------- Post added at 09:03 ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 ----------

And does Easyjet qualify as a European airline? I assumed they didnt qualify as any type of airline lol.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Low cost airlines are different iirc, i have the same problem with flights to Barcelona for next week which i paid for on a debit card (so no refund). Your flights are in effect 'singles' so you don't get the same rights as normal flights.

I have just checked the easyjet website and it looks as though a refund or transfer is being offered.

HTH :shrug:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I think you might be right. According to the news I have been watching, I am not sure if I got this right, but I understood that airlines are supposed to refund the fare AND get you back home. However the easyjet website offers a refund (on unused part of the flight) OR a transfer within 30 days. So I assume that if I go for the refund I then need to make alternative arrangements. However I understand that all airlines have to offer accomadation for long delays.

To be honest I am not too fussed about accomadation as I have family in Lisbon, although I will take the accomodation if offered (don«t want to impose on people if i don't have to). I also need to check my travel insurance documents to see if there is anything in there regarding disruptions caused by volcanos.

---------- Post added at 09:43 ---------- Previous post was at 09:42 ----------

By the way, what does HTH stand for?

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Hope That Helps. ;)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

They only need to offer accomodation if you are on a leg of a flight that started elsewhere (i.e.. a return ticket or changover) As already said budget airlines get passed this by doing each leg as a seperate flight (you can NOT buy returns or multi-leg journeys from then) so they do not need to offer accomadation with the ONLY options being refund or transfer within 30 days

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I've only just read your full story, so my reply didn't really apply to you as it did me - sorry. You're already stuck there :erm:

I'm unsure about a hotel being paid for by easyjet as something in the back of my mind is telling me they aren't liable, although i'm not sure if they might offer as a gesture of goodwill.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

DOnt all airlines make you book and price the return leg of your flight separately nowadays. Even BA and TAP which I don´t classify as budget airlines. I thought that free accomadation has to be given if you have a confirmed booking for a return portion of your flight.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Nope, if you go throught the BA booking system then it quotes "•Outbound prices shown are valid only when purchased as a return journey." so the return is attached to the ticket and it's not two seperate tickets

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Thanks for clarifying.

---------- Post added at 10:19 ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 ----------

The easyjet website suggests I am entitled to accomadation (I think I am reading this correctly)

http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/regulations.html#delays under delays and cancellations.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Possibly with option "1. Re-routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity;"

but from what I read elsewhere that option due to the nature of the event is not applicable and the only options are reroute at a later date or refund

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Personally I am of the opinion that flights originating from EU states, be they budget airlines or not, are governed by EU regulations. The EU regulations I have read so far do not distinguish between budget and non budget airlines.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8621779.stm the paragraph near the bottom reinforces my view above.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Latest from NATS

http://www.nats.co.uk/

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

I believe that some airlines will if they have passengers stranded overseas without any accommodation they will in the current situation put people up in hotel and feed them.

After all if they keep them sweet and they will come back and tell people of what they did for them.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Well, I have a couple of friends affected by this.

1 is a little peeved that his holiday to mallorca is effectively cancelled (he had a five day break booked starting last thursday).

1 is in Thailand on a 3 month break, but isn't due back for a few weeks.

1 is stuck in New York on a business trip, and is loving it.. Apparently, she can claim the hotel accommodation costs from her company.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

like I said I may profit from this if there are any staff still at their holiday destinations come 9 am on Monday..;)

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

My sons holiday to Egypt has been cancelled, He doesn't seem to be that bothered about it though. :shrug:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Wife's work has started a rescue mission. One of her colleagues (and his brother) have driven to the chunnel and are now in Calais.The missus has managed to get a hire car which she'll drive from Italy to France (this involved a trip to the opticians as she didn't have her driving glasses on her). ETA back home is some time on Monday. She left last Tuesday for a 2 day trip...

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

UK is still a no fly zone

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

They were saying on the news that the last volcano to erupt in Iceland, in the 80's I think, spewed out ash for six months! We just need a change in wind direction.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

UK airspace restrictions now extended until 01:00am BST Monday

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

The latest met office report said the volcano is still erupting & possibly intensifying.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

LOL @ Dan Snow and his Dunkirk style evacuation of Calais

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8627922.stm

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Not sure if I would be that desperate, to cross one of the busiest shipping channels in world in an inflatable......

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

How about hiding in a lorry at the Channel Tunnel terminal?

My boss is due to fly to New York tomorrow (for work), and a colleague to Vietnam (holiday). Neither will be pleased to see me tomorrow. :erm:

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Not Good :(

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Watching this morning's news about one group of travellers who made it onto a cross channel ferry from Caen to Portsmouth arriving about 9pm last night.

There was nearly a riot when they discovered that they were required to queue up for passport control because they were all in danger of missing the last train/bus home.

In the end the police who had been called by the Ferryport immigration control decided that everyone holding up their passports in the air was sufficient for them to pass through.

They all missed their connections though..and then spent the night at the train stations and bus station.

Why am I not surprised that the rail and bus companies seemed to make no effort to hold one or two services over.Where has the entrepreneurial spirit of our various travel industries gone?Me if I was the boss of National Express I'd be rubbing my hands with glee and arranging extra buses for occasions like this.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

Daughter is stuck in Oz until Thursday now. Waiting for updates.

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

The News of the world says it could be at least another 10 days yet.! :erm:
I really hope not.:mad:
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news...h-spreads.html

Re: Airports closed as volcanic ash drifts toward UK
 

That paper knows no more than anyone else, so don't pay any attention budweiser ;)

I'm sure things will be back to normal soon and everyone will have their loved onces back where they belong :)