Though pictures of the volcanic eruption in Iceland have been spectacular, the real economic ash appears to be falling on flights to and from Britain. The U.K. has shut down its major airports and airlines from Ryanair to British Airways have canceled flights. Airport closures and cancellations can be expected across northern Europe.
Volcanic ash is one of the most corrosive elements in the sky for airliners. Pilots that ignore clouds of ash, do so at their peril and endanger their passengers. I wrote about volcanoes about two years ago when Alaska’sKasatochi Volcano was erupting and Alaska Airlines had to cancel scores of flights.
This massive cancellation taking place in Britain, Scandinavia and eventually in much of Northern Europe will make the problems of Alaska Air pale in comparison.
BA said it would not be able to operate flights after 11.30 today from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City Airport.
All BA domestic services have already been cancelled today (Thursday).
Ryanair canceled all flights to and from the UK from 09.00.
Flybe stopped flights from 09.30 affecting 24,764 passengers who will be offered alternative flights or refunds. Only 11 out of 565 flights operated today from the 38 UK airports the airline uses.
Arriving and departing flights at Manchester have now been suspended from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. today when a further update will be issued.
A NATS spokesman was quoted as saying: “The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre has issued a forecast that the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Iceland will track over Europe tonight.
To make matters worse, the volcanic ash that can stop jet engines cold, is not detected or displayed on cockpit radars because of the small size of the ash particles and low reflectivity. Plus, it can be obscured by weather clouds, according to The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
On average, 15 major explosive eruptions — those powerful enough to inject ash above 25,000 feet — occur each year. Ash plumes from a major eruption can affect aircraft thousands of miles downwind. For example, when Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980, the plume reached an altitude of 90,000 feet in 30 minutes and was 50 miles wide.
According to the Air Line Pilots Association, nine Volcanic Activity Advisory Centers (VAACs) have been established worldwide to detect volcanic activity and disseminate information about it to the aviation community in a timely manner. Despite this important step having been taken, airlines have suffered significant financial losses caused by volcanic ash encounters in VAAC areas since their inception.
Volcanic ash is one of the most dangerous conditions that can be encountered in the air by aircraft. Airborne ash can diminish visibility, damage flight control systems, and cause jet engines to fail. A fact sheet published by the Air Line Pilots Association details the history of volcanic eruptions and their effects on aircraft in flight.
This is a major disruption. Anyone flying to Europe should check with their airlines. The volcanic ash cloud is currently over the U.K., Ireland and Scandinavia, but is expected to move south and pass over much of Europe today and tomorrow, perhaps, causing disruptions for as long as a week, maybe more.
