Britain's airspace shut down by iceland volcano

1. 97

   CMHypnoposted 15 years ago

   No flights leaving from the Uk until at least 6pm and maybe longer.
   
   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article … rists.html

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      cosetteposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      hmm
      
      that ash cloud doesn't look like it will be abating anytime soon. i know someone who's supposed to fly to germany on may 1. i hope it clears up by then...

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      sarovaiposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Before nature, Man made things?

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2. 75

   IzzyMposted 15 years ago

   I've just been reading about it Hypno. All except emergency flights grounded because of volcanic ash from Iceland. Fascinating stuff, though glad I'm not one of those stuck at a UK airport waiting for a flight!

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3. 97

   CMHypnoposted 15 years ago

   One of the people I work for has had their flight to italy cancelled today.  Its not just the UK, Sweden, Norway, ireland and Denmark are all affected and it could end up affecting most of Europe.

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4. 75

   IzzyMposted 15 years ago

   Of course flights grounded means none are allowed in either, in the whole of northern Europe.
   Lets hope there is a high atmospheric storm to blow it all away.

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5. 72

   earnestshubposted 15 years ago

   The effects on commerce will be a real kick in the wrong place to these recovering economies too.

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6. 97

   CMHypnoposted 15 years ago

   Also pity the pilots on long haul flights that have to come into land anyway despite the ash, or be diverted to another country to land.
   
   Also a lot of ash in the atmosphere might really affect the weather in this hemisphere over the summer

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   IzzyMposted 15 years ago

   The whole north Atlantic weather pattern was already getting affected by the two massive icebergs that have blocked the mouth of the Mertz Glacier in Antartica, where cool waters enter the deep global oceanic waterways that affect world weather.
   
   Incoming flights can't risk flying in affected areas. The ash clogs up the engines. I think it was 1998 a BA plane nearly crashed after losing all engines when flying through volcanic ash.
   They'll all be diverted if they had already left.

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8. 97

   CMHypnoposted 15 years ago

   The flights have now been grounded until at least 7am tomorrow morning - one of the problems will be that even when things get going again that so many planes will still be on the ground in the UK that there will be problems for people trying to fly into the UK.
   
   There is also no guarantee that the volcano will stop erupting or that the winds will shift direction.
   
   Apart from the travellers misery, the UK and European economies really do not need this

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9. 97

   CMHypnoposted 15 years ago

   Flights from and into the UK are now grounded until at least 7pm this evening and experts say the eruption is intensifying.
   
   Still an ill wind and all - Euorstar tickets are sold out, there are no hotel rooms available in London as there are so many tourists stranded and the ferries are selling out

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10. 67

    2uesdayposted 15 years ago

    I was fortunate enough to fly back from Italy on Wednesday. If my return had been planned for the next day I would be stranded at the airport now. I feel very sorry for the people who are affected by this; but relieved that I got home when I did.
    
    I heard on the news this morning that the alternative ways of travelling home to the UK have put up their prices for would be travellers.

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       ryankettposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Only natural.... increase in demand means increase in price. I have a friend stuck in America. Not really a bad place to be stuck, I wish that I could get stuck somewhere!

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11. 67

    2uesdayposted 15 years ago

    I suppose that is right - it is down to supply and demand putting up the cost.
    
    I think some people must be spending on their credit cards to get hotels and meals near the airports. For me it would have been difficult sitting in a crowded airport lounge waiting for news of when you can get home.

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12. 97

    CMHypnoposted 15 years ago

    UK airports are now closed at least until 13.00 on Sunday now, and BA and Ryanair have cancelled all flights until Monday.  Qantas have cancelled all flights into Europe indefinitely.
    
    Hundreds of thousands of people are stranded around the world, and food importers have warehouses full of food and fresh flowers in various countries that are rotting because they can't be flown into the UK.  This crisis is causing businesses to lose millions and they are saying that by midweek there is likely to be a shortage of some vegetables, salad and fruit in UK supermarkets.
    
    Any mail for the US is being trucked down to Southern Spain where the airspace is still open.
    
    And just to really help matters the French rail workers have gon on strike!
    
    
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8627545.stm

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13. 67

    2uesdayposted 15 years ago

    thank you for the update CMHypno - it is awful news though. I hate airports at the best of times - how terrible to be stuck without a way to get home for so long.

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    thisisoliposted 15 years ago

    My parents were meant to be flying over to the US from the UK on the 20th for my wedding on the 1st of May. Looks like that may not be happening any more, which is a bit of a bugger to be honest!

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       Miekaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Oh that's terrible! I hope things will get sorted soon Oli! Best of luck to you!

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       alternate poetposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Can't you postpone the wedding a month or something?  these things are not so cast in stone as they appear and usually not such a big deal to change venue times etc - I would prefer to change arrangements and have my parents there if it was possible.
       
       It is a bummer isn't it!

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    3. 97

       CMHypnoposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       That's really sad news Oli - hope they manage to get there.  My brother and his family are on holiday in Florida, so I hope they can get back ok next week.  I have some other friends in Fuerteventura who will not be able to get back this weekend, and some other friends were due to go to Egypt this morning.  It's badly affecting a lot of people and will probably cause some businesses to go to the wall and create job losses

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    Originposted 15 years ago

    I must be living under a rock, this is the first time I've heard about this.

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16. 69

    alternate poetposted 15 years ago

    I am out of the country and will be flying back in June - but the opinions on how long it can last range from a few days to a few months.
    
    Afraid to book my flight now, maybe I will just start walking!

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    kirstenblogposted 15 years ago

    My brother in law is stuck in Egypt
    They all work at local schools and the kids obviously go to schools
    Poor them, no work or school on Monday! (I hear the kids actually LOVE their schools, so they may be a bit disappointed). With travel insurance they should be kept comfortable as they wait for news but I don't think they can go do more sight seeing

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       AdsenseStrategiesposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Wow kirstenblog, I had no idea that that is what you look like. I had pictured something entirely different! A friend of mine lives in Cambridge (England, not MASS) and is stuck in Boston at the moment...

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    ngurecoposted 15 years ago

    It’s too unfortunate. There are millions of dollars worth of fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables destined to Europe all going to waste here. The shutting of the airspace is indeed affecting the economy of the entire world

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       CMHypnoposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       You just have to wonder how many farmers in Africa and other countries could potentially lose their livelihoods if this does drag on for months and even whether any of the airlines will go down.

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19. 97

    CMHypnoposted 15 years ago

    Some spectacular photos of the volcano erupting!
    
    
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne … rope-.html

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    1. 77

       kirstenblogposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Those are some great pics!
       Sad situation but I do love the force of nature

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          CMHypnoposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          I think that it keep us real, Kirsten.  Just when we humans think that we can control everything, mother nature comes along and shows us that we can't and dont't!

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          logic,commonsenseposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          There are some awesome photos so the lightning strikes above the volcano on Weather.com!

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20. 69

    jayjay40posted 15 years ago

    My son's girlfriend should be back from Vegas today, now she's due back on the 27th. She is a caretaker at the local school, so the school may have problems tomorrow when the kids go back.

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    1. 97

       CMHypnoposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Apparently there is likely to be a lot of missing teachers, support staff and pupils when the schools go back tomorrow.  There are also some operations not taking place, because the medical staff have been stranded.

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21. 59

    sagbeeposted 15 years ago

    This is a sad news.. Valcanic erruption is a natural calamity and one cannot avoid it.. Though it has affected the business a lot and airspace.. people are struck in the mid ways and its really sad that it will continue till few more days.. :-(

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22. 78

    ngurecoposted 15 years ago

    Other than now, has this Eyjafjallajokull volcano ever erupted again in the past? This volcano may continue like that for a week

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    1. 97

       CMHypnoposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       It last erupted in 1821, and that time it carried on spewing an ash cloud for 2 years!

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          ngurecoposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Can we therefore say chances are high (up to 75%) this time it will continue spewing ash clouds for the next 2 years?

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             CMHypnoposted 15 years agoin reply to this

             And a big worry is that it's nearest volcanic neighbour Katla will also erupt, as they have a history of erupting simultaneously. And Katla is a much bigger and more powerful volcano

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    susanlangposted 15 years ago

    Very nasty ash clouds, I have a flight to the UK in July. Geez, I hope things clear up by then.

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