NEWS AND NOTES
Blue Water Sailing
April 19, 2010
Travel chaos from volcanic ash cloud affects Cruisers
Radar Map - Source: www.radarvirtuel.com
As the huge ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano spreads out across Europe this past week, a massive disruption in air travel on a scale not seen since the September 11 attacks is now costing airlines hundreds of millions of dollars.
Significant disruption of European air traffic was expected on Saturday because of the dangers posed by volcanic ash drifting from Iceland, aviation officials said. Airports in much of Britain, France and Germany remained closed and flights were set to be grounded in Hungary and parts of Romania.
Disruption from the volcanic ash eruption in Iceland is costing airlines more than $200 million a day, the air industry body IATA said.
Volcanic ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallaj okull volcano, pictured Wednesday,
resulted in cancelled flights in Europe today. Photograph courtesy of
Arni Saeberg, Icelantic Coast Guard / National Geographic.com.
"At current levels of disruption, IATA's initial and conservative estimate of the financial impact on airlines is in excess of $200 million per day in lost revenues," the International Air Transport Association said in a statement.
Vulcanologists say the ash could cause problems to air traffic for up to six months if the eruption continues, but even if it short-lived the financial impact on airlines could be significant.
Back home in Boca Raton, FL, cruisers Craig and Katherine have reservations to fly to Europe this week to return to their Amel 46, Sangaris, in Italy.
"We'll just have to pray that they re-open the airspace across Europe by Wednesday or we'll just have to stand-by," said a patient but ready-to-go, Katherine. "We're cruisers, after all. We have to go with the flow, right?"
S/V Sangaris
Here are some current updates on who's flying.
CAA update on volcanic ash situation
19 April 2010
As the UK’s independent aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) role is to safeguard the public interest by overseeing the safety of UK aviation and we are making every effort to allow safe airline operations to resume in the light of continued volcanic activity.
We are currently facing one of the biggest challenges the aviation industry has ever seen. The CAA oversaw Sunday’s test flight between Heathrow and Cardiff. The British Airways 747 followed a route previously flown by the Dornier research aircraft which collects scientific data for the Met Office. This allowed an assessment to be made which related ash density to aircraft damage, unlike other test flights reported in Europe. Our experts are reviewing all the evidence and working intensively to expedite a safe solution along with aircraft manufacturers, European aviation regulators, air traffic control providers and European institutions.
There is hope that a cessation of volcanic activity will allow the resumption of flights but Eyjafjallajoekull continues its eruptions, although at a lower level. Weather conditions also continue to be unfavourable.
We appreciate the severe inconvenience and economic pressures that the suspension of flights has caused and are urgently looking at all options to lift restrictions whilst maintaining passenger safety as our first priority, ensuring these decisions are evidence based.
The restrictions are Europe wide and the procedures adopted in the UK comply with international aviation recommendations laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The volcanic ash currently affecting UK airspace is an unprecedented event in Europe. Last Thursday, NATS (National Air Traffic Control Services) reduced its aircraft flow rate, within controlled airspace, to zero, based on manufacturers' guidance on the hazards presented by ash to aircraft frames and their engines.
The current restrictions are based on engine manufacturers' guidance which state that aircraft engines should be exposed to a zero rate of volcanic ash. The CAA and other authorities are working with these manufacturers to see whether new evidence and risk assessment can enable safe flight at agreed levels of ash exposure. The CAA has been actively pursuing this option with manufacturers and this work is continuing today.
In the meantime passengers are advised not to travel to the airport without first contacting their airline.
Those flying on EU airlines unable to travel are entitled to a full refund or an alternative flight and should contact their airline. Depending on their exact situation they may also be entitled to refreshment and hotel accommodation.
Anyone with a package holiday should contact their tour operator or travel agent.
Further information is available on the CAA’s website at www.caa.co.uk
Flight operations to Northern and Central Europe still restricted
19 April 2010
•Iberia is operating normally all its domestic routes (including the Air shuttle service between Barcelona and Madrid), as well as its flights to America, Africa, Middle East, Portugal, Rome and the South of Italy, Greece and Istanbul
•Iberia has cancelled most of its flights scheduled today to the airports affected by the restrictions
•The airline is watchful for the information provided by Eurocontrol to resume its flights as soon as the airports open
•An Iberia flight to Milan could leave this morning to the Italian airport while it was open. At this moment, the airport is closed again
•Iberia plans to schedule additional flights with bigger aircraft to the airports that are open. From there, passengers will be offered alternative ground transportation to their final destinations
•Since Friday, the airline has operated additional flights to Rome and Barcelona, carrying its passengers from there to other European destinations by bus
•Iberia is hiring buses to transport transit passengers. Until now, 79 buses has left for other destination in Northern and Central Europe
•The airline has increased the number of personnel attending its call centers and recommends them to call only in case of extreme urgency
•Iberia reminds its customers that destination and date changes, as well as reimbursements without any penalty, are allowed and can be requested through Iberia offices and travel agencies until the end of April. Passengers are kindly requested not to go to the airport, if their flight hasn’t been confirmed
•Flight status can be checked through Iberia’s website, Arrivals and Departures. Clients holding tickets with Iberia code, but operated by a different airline, are required to contact the operating carrier for further information
