Volcanic Ash Chaos: First UK International Flight Is To Iceland

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Dramatic footage above crater of Icelandic volcano

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sourced by Paul Conneally

First International Flight Leaves UK Midday To Reykjavik

The Eyjafjallajokull volcanic ash flight chaos continues today with some bright points namely that a few flights will take off from the UK. The first flights are internal from Glasgow Airport to Stornoway Airport. Ironically the first international flight out of the UK will be at midday to Iceland the very source of the volcanic ash.

Nats reports that more airspace will become available over England after midday but mainly in the north with London airports not yet having any indication of when they will resume flights.

Airspace Opening Timetable Unsure

It had been hoped that most UK airports would see some flights today but overnight the Icelandic volcano has spewed more hot ash high into the atmosphere raising fears that airspace would once again have to remain closed particularly over the South and South East of the UK. Nats issued a statement today saying:

"Since our last statement at 2100 (local time) yesterday, the volcano eruption in Iceland has strengthened and a new ash cloud is spreading south and east towards the UK. This demonstrates the dynamic and rapidly changing conditions in which we are working"

The air industry are calling for a review of the whole process that led to a total ban on flying after several of their own test flights returned with no obvious problems. BA are along with other carriers asking governments to consider a financial compensation package to the air industry akin to the financial bail out recently provided to the banking industry.

Meanwhile many thousands of air passengers are still stranded around the world.