For the last week or so a volcano has been erupting in Chile. The ash cloud has risen high in the sky – now about 50,000 feet high – and is now swirling and travelling on the winds. Yet again, volcanic ash is disrupting flights.
After the Icelandic volcano, Grimsvotn, decided to make life difficult for travellers this week including scaring bank holidaymakers that they might be affected, life is back to normal. The media went to town on the first day with almost blanket coverage on the news channels. It seems there were only two stories across the two days. And Barack Obama came a poor second on them.
But have we learnt anything from it? Will disruption like 2010 occur or do we know more?
t seemed quite simple when I got up this morning. Flights into Scottish airports would be disrupted due to the ash cloud emanating from the Icelandic volcano we can pronounce, Grimsvotn, and spread southwards.
Except that isn’t what’s happening. Some airlines are flying and some have been advised (“ordered” seems to be the real meaning of the word for Ryanair by the Irish Aviation Authority) not to.
No this isn’t a volcanic ash story. There are enough of those around today with the media generally adopting the view that “here we go again.” Flights being cancelled to and from Scotland and the north east of England but at least we can pronounce the name of this Icelandic volcano.
No, this is about a remark in Ryanair’s annual report that it will be more profitable to ground a third of its planes next winter than fly them? Can this be true
We all remember the closure for a week of our airspace caused by the ash spewing from the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajoekull. I was stuck twice as a result of the fun and games so had to resort to the train to return. Luckily I was only in Glasgow on each occasion unlike people trapped around the world who were well and truly stuck. Under EU law, airlines are responsible for compensation due to delay and cancellation. And as we know, Ryanair strongly objected but eventually gave way, KLM is rumoured still to be refusing to pay and many airlines are unhappy. Lobbying is going on behind the scenes to get the EU law changed.
