Volcano ash keeps UK planes grounded
Updated on 17 April 2010
Restrictions across UK airspace will remain grounded until at least 0700 BST on Monday as clouds of volcanic ash from Iceland continue to drift across Europe. Andy Davies reports.
Restrictions on flights in and out of the UK are staying put and British Airways has announced all flights scheduled for Monday are now cancelled.
Airports across the continent have also closed their airspace causing potential travel chaos for days to come across France, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Holland.
In the UK, there are increasing reports of the ash now falling to the ground. Residents in the north of Scotland have described a "sulphurous smell" and there have reports of the dust as far south as the Thames Valley.
Expert Matthew Watson, from Bristol University, is monitoring the eruption using satellite data.
He told Channel 4 News: "We've been particularly unlucky actually.
"The ash seems to have got wrapped into an upper level cyclone, a clockwise rotation of wind which has drawn it down and then stuck it over the UK.
"It really is sat over us - and it might be for some time."
NHS officials have said: "It is important to stress that the concentration of particles which does reach ground level is likely to be low and should not cause serious harm."
The ash, from the Icelandic mountain Eyjaffjalljokull, could inflict huge costs on the economy - the global airline industry alone is losing around £130m a day.
Small firms also say it could cost them millions in lost business.
Stocks of clothes are building up, some pharmaceutical supplies could be affected, while exotic fruit and vegetables - from papayas and kiwis to fresh flowers - cannot be imported as usual.
The Freight Transport Association has said although many companies will be able to move produce by truck, a backlog will start building up which could take more than 48 hours to sort out even once flights resume.
Less than 1 per cent of goods are shipped by air, but those with a short shelf-life, such as vaccines and fresh food, are likely to face the most serious disruption.
The delays could also begin to hit farmers and exporters in the developing world.
So far the major supermarkets have reported a minimal impact. Waitrose said some lines, like baby corn from Thailand, are still on the shelves, although no fresh supplies have arrived. Tesco and Asda say they currently have good levels of stock.
Thousands of UK citizens remain stranded overseas, while trains, ferries and even taxis have been swamped with bookings.
Even heads of state have had problems getting around. After more than 36 hours in transit the German chancellor Angela Merkel is still trying to get back to Berlin after the chaos disrupted her return from the US.
Mrs Merkel told reporters she will "take things as they come".
The world of music is being affected, with conductors, singers and orchestras heavily dependent on frequent jet travel.
A world famous concert pianist cannot get to New York's Carnegie Hall because he is stuck in Amsterdam. Other performers have also been unable to travel out of Europe, leaving concert organisers facing cancellations, lost fees and ticket refunds.
Some musicians have gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure the show goes on - hiring private planes, taking 20 hour train trips, or renting cars.
According to the New York Times, jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, who is due to perform at London's Barbican centre, managed to rent a bus overnight from Stuttgart and take a ferry to England.
Barbican spokesman Alex Webb described her as "a trouper".
The festival season in Europe has not really begun yet but organisers of the Coachella music festival in San Francisco are still waiting for around a dozen bands who are trapped in travel limbo, including British indie band The Cribs.
Soul diva Whitney Houston has taken a ferry to Ireland to guarantee her concert plans.
Meanwhile, John Cleese has reportedly spent more than £3,000 on a taxi ride from Oslo to Brussels, after an appearance on a Scandinavian talk show.
