Ash cloud latest - thousands face flight cancellations

Thousands of passengers face UK flight cancellations because of drifting ash from an Icelandic volcanic eruption. BA, KLM and Easyjet are among the airlines that have chosen to suspend services in and out of Scotland. Some English airports are also affected. But Ryanair has objected to an order from Irish officials to ground its morning flights to and from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen on safety grounds.

The ash cloud is not due to reach other parts of the UK until later on Tuesday. The Met Office said the ash had already reached northern Scotland and would spread to Wales, northern England and Northern Ireland by midday and across much of the UK by the end of the day. But forecasters said changing wind patterns make it hard to predict its exact path and concentrations would vary between regions.

The cancellations come just over a year after another volcanic eruption in Iceland caused widespread disruption across Europe, including the closure of UK airspace, amid concerns about the damage volcanic ash could cause to engine aircraft.

This year, in the UK, the decision on whether to fly or not in ash cloud conditions is down to individual airlines, although they have to apply to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for final approval.Transport secretary Philip Hammond said the UK was better prepared than it had been in 2010 but it was difficult to predict what would happen this time.

Passengers should check with their airline before travelling. A further update will be provided at 3pm UK time today on the National Air Traffic Control website.

News story taken from the BBC website

Back to News