UK Flights Disrupted By Iceland!

[whole diary]

[inspector_blakey]

Hmm... I wonder if ASW are having trouble filling their planes.

Either way, this smacks of a bit of a publicity stunt - I can't imagine that the number of spare seats on a few of ASW's tiddly little aircraft is going to make a serious dent in 1,100 passengers, although the fare offered does seem good value.

[vacman]

Hmm... I wonder if ASW are having trouble filling their planes.

Apparently so, according to a good source most of their Nqy-Northern england/scotland flights regularly fly less than 60% full, London flights around 70%, which sounds OK but lets remember that they're only 50 seat planes!

[Brucey]

Update on Tuesday May 4 at 0630

Based on the latest information from the Met Office and the CAA^» (Civil Aviation Authority - about), NATS advises that, due to a heavy concentration of volcanic ash, a no-fly zone is in place in the west of Scotland and Northern Ireland, including some airports in the Western Isles from 0700 (local time) until at least 1300 (local time).

Apart from the no-fly zone, normal air traffic control operations are expected within Scottish airspace during this period, including Scottish airports, although some regulation may be required in light of operational experience.

Conditions around the movement of the layers of the volcanic ash cloud over the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) remain dynamic. NATS will continue to monitor the latest Met Office information and the CAA^s updates on the density of the ash cloud across the UK.

The next update will be at approximately 1200 (local time).

http://www.nats.co.uk/

[Chris from Nailsea]

Breaking news, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Warning of ash flight disruption

Parts of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s airspace are at risk of closure from Sunday because of volcanic activity in Iceland, the Department for Transport has said.
Disruption could affect some of the UK's busiest airports in south-east England until Tuesday, it warned.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said passenger safety was the government's top priority.
Ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano caused disruption to thousands of flights during April.

[willc]

Virgin Trains quick off the mark with extra seats, principally doubling up Voyagers on Scotland-Birmingham runs today and tomorrow and Holyhead services tomorrow, plus an extra 08.08 Preston-Glasgow tomorrow.

[Timmer]

The shut down of many airports across the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) starts from 1pm today:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8685193.stm

Airports across much of the UK are to close between 1300 and 1900 BST as volcanic ash drifts across Europe, the air traffic authority Nats has said.

In England, East Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool, Doncaster, Humberside and Carlisle airports will be hit by the Civil Aviation Authority's no-fly zone. Airports in Northern Ireland, Prestwick near Glasgow, those on Scottish islands and the Isle of Man are also affected.

London airports are unaffected, while Dublin remains open on Sunday. Planes have been grounded in other parts of the Irish Republic. Travellers are being advised to check with their airline before leaving home.
 
The volcano has become more active again in recent weeks. The UK no-fly zones are set out by the Civil Aviation Authority using Met Office data. Forecasts suggest the ash cloud could extend further over the UK during Monday and Tuesday.

[Ollie]

Heathrow and Gatwick flights currently suspended until 07:00.

As a result of the disruption to UK^▸ (United Kingdom) airports we are running four additional services on Monday 17th May. This means that we are offering an extra 3,500 seats at a special price of ^89 / ^96 one-way.

From London to Paris (direct service only):
Train 9020: Dep 11:01 - arr 14:17
Train 9040: Dep 16:32 - arr 19:47

From Paris to London (direct service only):
Train 9045: Dep 16:43 - arr 17:59
Train 9061: Dep 20:43 - arr 21:59

The following additional service will run

08:08 Preston to Glasgow Central

The following trains will have more seats than normal

    05:30 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead
    06:17 Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh Waverley
    08:00 Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street
    08:52 Edinburgh Waverley to Birmingham New Street
    08:55 Holyhead to London Euston
    09:10 London Euston to Holyhead
    10:52 Edinburgh Waverley to Birmingham New Street
    12:20 Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh Waverley
    13:20 Birmingham New Street to Glasgow Central
    13:58 Holyhead to London Euston
    14:30 London Euston to Lancaster
    15:20 Birmingham New Street to Glasgow Central
    16:35 Chester to London Euston
    16:52 Edinburgh Waverley to Birmingham New Street
    17:37 Lancaster to London Euston
    17:40 Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street
    19:10 London Euston to Holyhead
    20:10 Glasgow Central to Crewe
    21:20 Birmingham New Street to Preston

correct when going to "print"

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

UK^▸ (United Kingdom) ash cloud restrictions easing

Flight restrictions have been lifted at all UK airports after the volcanic ash cloud over UK airspace moved away.
Knock-on disruption continues but there will be no flight groundings on the mainland at least until 0100 BST on Tuesday, UK air traffic control said.
After a weekend that saw thousands of passengers stranded, only Shetland and Orkney airports are closed to planes.
Meanwhile, new rules to allow planes to fly at higher ash densities have been agreed and will operate from Tuesday.
At talks between the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA^» (Civil Aviation Authority - about)), airlines, regulators, and aircraft and engine manufacturers a new "time limited zone" was set up.
From midday on Tuesday this will allow planes to fly for a limited period when volcanic ash is present in the air at higher ash densities than currently permitted.
The CAA said airlines had to present it with safety information - including the agreement of their aircraft and engine manufacturers - to be allowed to fly in the new zone.
One airline boss - British Airways' Willie Walsh - had criticised the weekend's restrictions as "a gross over-reaction to a very minor risk".
Weather forecasters said the ash cloud from Iceland was now being blown away.
However, there may be some restrictions to helicopter operations in the North Sea, where a no-fly zone is still in force.
Across the country:
^ In Northern Ireland , flights were able to operate from all three of Northern Ireland's airport from 1300 BST, but delays and cancellations were still possible.
^ In Scotland flights were cancelled for the rest of the day in Orkney and the Shetland Islands while Scotland's other airports reopened.
^ In Wales, airports are open. However Cardiff airport is warning that some disruptions and cancellations remain in place following earlier restrictions.
Airport operators are advising passengers to check for delays to their flights with airlines, who are working to clear the backlog of delayed passengers.
By the time restrictions were lifted on Monday, flights were cancelled or delayed by up to six hours at the UK's major airports.
Thousands of passengers were left to rebook their flights or to wait in airports for new departure times.
Network Rail pledged to do everything possible to help stranded and delayed travellers make journeys by train.
Virgin Trains said 7,000 extra seats had been made available on Monday, mainly on routes between Birmingham and Glasgow and Edinburgh, and between London Euston and Glasgow.
Eurostar laid on six extra trains through the Channel Tunnel on Monday, amounting to about 5,500 additional seats.
In the Netherlands, Amsterdam's Schiphol and Rotterdam airports reopened from 1300 local time (1200 BST) after being closed for seven hours.
Since the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted last month, throwing huge amounts of ash into the air, thousands of flights have been delayed or cancelled across Europe due to fears that ash could turn into molten glass within a hot jet engine, crippling the aircraft.
The latest UK disruption saw airspace over Northern Ireland close first on Saturday, before the cloud moved south and grounded flights in many parts of the UK on Sunday.
Among the affected travellers who contacted the BBC News website was Matt Pope, from Guildford, who e-mailed to say it was the third time the ash had disrupted his travel plans. On the first occasion he was stuck in North Carolina for six days. He wrote: "Last weekend the Easyjet flight from Prague to Gatwick was cancelled due to aircraft positioning problems after ash in central Europe. This was after we ran the marathon and I missed my flight to Singapore the next day causing expensive rescheduling. Now I am sat at Heathrow awaiting for a flight to NY. Will this ever end?"
Flight restrictions depend on how dense the ash cloud is.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had already raised the density threshold level that forces a flight ban, following six days of airport closures last month. But after the latest airport closures over the weekend, airlines criticised the amended regulations.
BA^» (British Airways - about) chief executive Mr Walsh said: "I am very concerned that we have decisions on opening and closing of airports based on a theoretical model. There was no evidence of ash in the skies over London today, yet Heathrow was closed."
He said that airlines flew safely in other parts of the world where there was volcanic activity. "If we can do it in every other part of the world, I can assure you we can do it in the UK as well."
On Sunday, Virgin Atlantic president Sir Richard Branson called the closure of Manchester airport "beyond a joke".