by Sun Meilan

Created on: April 15, 2010

The British public are used to airport delays - if it's not bad weather, then the cabin crew are striking. Nevertheless on April 15 2010, something slightly different happened - airports have had to be closed because of volcanic ash from the Eyjafjoll volcano, which is travelling south from Iceland. This is the second volcanic explosion in Iceland in a month, and, although the volcanic ash is mainly over Scandanavia, it is seriously affecting the UK and a number of other European countries. 

The problem is that volcanic ash is made up of tiny rock particles, which are abrasive, although they look like soft talcum powder. The force of the volcano has forced these particles so high into the atmosphere that it is then spread by high winds. Currently, it is sitting at the cruising altitude of aeroplanes - at around 55,000 feet. It is not just a vision problem, although the ash can sandblast the windscreen of an aeroplane. The ash is dangerous to aeroplane engines because it is so abrasive and can clog up engines. At the very worst, aeroplanes could lose control of all engines and plummet to earth. 

As a result of the volcanic ash, UK airspace will be closed between noon and 6pm (GMT), unless there is an emergency. The situation is mirrored in Belgium, Germany, Scandanavia and Ireland. There is a strong chance that airspace will remain closed for longer than that - British Airways have already reported that all its flights are cancelled until April 16 2010. This will, of course, lead to massive disruption as people try to catch up with flights at a later date. The media are, however, reassuring the British public that it will not affect the weather, although there could be a slight drop in temperature. 

This is not the first time that this problem has occurred, although it is a new phenomenon for the British public, who are not used to being affected by volcanoes. In 1982, a jumbo jet flown by British Airways hit a volcanic dust cloud in Indonesia and then struggled to restart the engines. Fortunately, one did start working before the plane plummeted to earth. A KLM flight had a similar problem in 1989 while flying over Alaska. As a result, safety procedures have been put in place, including the banning of flights while there is a risk. 

It is obviously upsetting when flights are cancelled - and so often, in the UK at least, it is a result of something that could have been avoided. In this case, it clearly is for the safety of passengers and the crew. Anyone in Northern Europe due to fly on April 15 or April 16 should keep an eye on the news and call their airline for updates. It may be more advisable to look for alternate routes where possible. 

Sources: 

http://news.sky.com/skynews

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8621992.stm

http://timesonline.typepad.com/science/2010/04/aerop lanes-beware-when-volcanic-ash-attacks.html

BBC TV News

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