(AP Photo/Icelandic Coastguard, ho)
By DAVID S. WHITE
Examiner.com
UPDATED 12:00 EDT April 15, 2010
Most air traffic has been grounded in the United Kingdom, Ireland,Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden due to airborne ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Flight cancellations have spread to France, Belgium, Switzerland and other countries. Authorities in Britain closed all five London airports.
Most transatlantic flights from the United States to the United Kingdom have been canceled on April 15. British airspace is closed until at least 7:00 a.m. Friday. France is closing airports and airspace as the ash spreads. Paris airports will close from 11:00 p.m. April 15 until at least 10:00 a.m. Friday.
Air travel disruptions could continue for an undetermined period.
The eruption under the Icelandic Eyjafjallajokull glacier spewed huge plumes of ash on April 14 and the cloud spread east across northern Europe. Forecasters predicted the ash plume could head toward Belgium, Germany, and a wide area of Europe over the next 24 hours and that the particulate may take some time to disperse.
Airborne volcanic ash poses a danger to aircraft when particles are ingested into jet engines. Silica in the ash melts in the high temperature engines and can form a damaging coating. Aircraft entering ash plumes in the past have experienced shutdown of all engines.
This is a developing story. Check updates here.
For more information:
- BAA–operator of Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow airports
- Paris airports authority
- Eurocontrol–European air traffic control organization
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