Volcanic ash strikes again
As we said last week, the consternation and upheaval caused by the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajoekull left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded across the globe after airspace across Europe was closed for six days.
This week… rather as I predicted, (I do quite enjoy saying to the world; “I told you so”) airspace in northern Scotland and across Ireland has once again been closed due to high levels of ash concentration in the atmosphere. The ash is still drifting from Iceland and is disrupting a further 1300 flights and yet again leaving countless passengers stranded.
This fresh disruption to the skies comes as European Union transport ministers are meeting in Brussels to talk about ways to improve air traffic organisation in the wake of last month’s events. The Civil Aviation Authority has closed airspace for a minimum of eight hours because ash concentrations exceeded the levels agreed as safe by engine manufacturers.
I have to say I’m rather pleased, though. This seems to suggest that the CAA seems to have regained some sense of authority and dignity over the last week, and that they are continuing to keep people’s safety as their paramount concern.
But does it not go to show, that perhaps the flights that have been circling over Europe over the last 10 days were flying not because it was deemed safe to do so, but because the Governments of Europe didn’t want to bail out angry airlines? Speculations galore, indeed.
Contributed by Jenny Wren-Charlton
