AIR PASSENGERS face more disruption as they head into the weekend after hundreds of thousands of travellers were stranded throughout northwestern Europe because of the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption.
As many as 4,000 flights were cancelled – prompting the biggest disruption of air travel in living memory – as the cloud blew in an easterly direction towards Ireland, Britain, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and France. Although some airlines said they may be able to resume flights this afternoon, air safety experts warned the disruption was set to continue.
Eurocontrol, the Brussels-based European air safety body, said flights may be affected for another 48 hours, while some experts said the trouble could persist for months if the eruption continued.
The disruption to air travel presents a huge logistical challenge to air carriers and is wiping out revenues. It has also led to a surge in demand for international rail services and sea carriers.
In Brussels, stranded officials hoping to travel to an informal meeting in Madrid of EU finance ministers were checking if they could travel to Spain by night-train. Spain’s rotating presidency of the EU indicated that it planned to proceed with the meeting.
Yesterday at Charleroi airport outside the Belgian capital, long queues formed at information and sales desks and at two public internet points after the country’s airspace was closed at 4pm.
It was much the same elsewhere with flights grounded early yesterday at Heathrow in London, Europe’s busiest airport, and at the main air terminals in dozens of cities.
In Paris, the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports were to shut late last night.
Business and political meetings were cancelled as a result of the disruption and the international travel plans of sports teams and entertainers were thrown into doubt.
President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek had to postpone a meeting with Pope Benedict at the Vatican and Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg was stranded in New York after meetings with businesspeople.
Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin cancelled a trip to Murmansk in Russia’s Arctic region. King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway sought to travel by car, boat or train to Copenhagen for celebrations to mark the 70th birthday of Queen Margrethe of Denmark.
Eurocontrol organised telephone conferences with aviation authorities and airlines throughout yesterday as it activated a contingency plan.
As American carriers prepared last night for the cancellation of further transatlantic flights, Asian airlines also delayed services to European airports.
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