Holidays ruined as ash cloud returns
Updated on 05 May 2010
Volcanic ash forces the cancellation of flights in Scotland, N Ireland and the Irish Republic - but as Jane Deith reports, the CAA says some Scottish services should resume this evening.
The ash is back for a second go, writes Channel 4 News reporter Jane Deith. Today it grounded around 300 flights in Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The volcano in Iceland sent up a second cloud of ash last night, when ice from the surrounding glacier fell into it.
Many volcanos have these eruptive phases. What is different about this eruption is that it is actually occurring underneath an ice cap, so there is a huge source of water available to mix with the magma and then generate all this ash.
At Glasgow airport today, the lucky ones were put on buses to airports like Newcastle and Manchester - to grab a few seats going spare. But for many, their ship had sailed.
One woman told Channel 4 News she was supposed to be getting to Heathrow and then taking a coach to Southampton to pick up a cruise ship. But she had been told there was no way she could get to Southampton today - so she was returning home.
The ash cloud has had a domino effect in England. Planes have been stuck in the wrong places, so some flights were cancelled at Luton and Cardiff.
As this ash cloud blows south and west in the next 24 hours, the the Civil Aviation Authority has warned it could brush the west of england. It says people flying from northern England, north Wales and the west country should check with their airlines.
But it is hoped the volcanic ash will drift away from land, out over the Atlantic, which would allow UK airports to open again.
The CAA says it all depends on the vagaries of the volcano. It could take months to exhaust itself. Till then, we have to wait until we know which way the wind is blowing....
A day of disappointments
Disappointed passengers vented their frustrations as they were forced to amend or even scrap their holiday plans.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said ash levels in the atmosphere from the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in Iceland meant it was unsafe for airlines to fly.
Many of the no-fly zones are in place until 7pm, as ash levels drifting south from Iceland were deemed unsafe for planes.
Airports operating the no-fly zone between 7am and 7pm are: Glasgow, Prestwick and Campbeltown in Scotland and Derry in Northern Ireland.
British Airways cancelled all of its London-Aberdeen and London-Edinburgh services this morning, despite some flights arriving and leaving from the two Scottish airports this morning.
Edinburgh airport has now closed.
EasyJet, the low-fare airline, scrapped all flights to and from Belfast City, Belfast International, Glasgow and Inverness airports this morning.
All flights to and from Dublin were cancelled by airline Flybe between 10am and 4pm.
Flight restrictions were introduced at Donegal, Sligo, Dublin and Knock airports.
Mabel McGeachie, 62, from East Kilbride, Scotland, had her easyJet flight cancelled at Glasgow airport.
She had been travelling to Malaga in Spain with 10 friends and relatives for her daughter's hen night and was told the next available flight was on Sunday, the day she was meant to return.
She said: "We are feeling disappointed as we were looking forward to it and I don't think we'll be able to rearrange it. It was my daughter's hen do and her wedding is in July.
"We heard about the ash last night but just came down to the airport anyway."
Thousands of services were cancelled yesterday as ash concentrations in the atmosphere rose.
The CAA warned the situation "remained changeable", and said 60 nautical-mile buffer zone imposed around high concentrations of ash was also close to airports in Carlisle, Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester.
Flights from elsewhere in the UK and mainland Europe are not affected by the ash cloud.
Transatlantic services passing over Ireland and Northern Ireland were also unaffected.
