Volcanic Ash Threatens European Airways

May 24, 2011

Ash from a volcanic eruption some 120 miles east of Reykjavik, Iceland, affected airport operations in Iceland, Norway, Scotland and other parts of the U.K. on Monday. The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority said new arrangements put in place since last year’s volcanic ash cloud would ensure high levels of public safety while helping to limit any disruption from volcanic ash.

According to EUROCONTROL, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, areas of high ash concentration over northern parts of the United Kingdom led to the cancellation of some 500 flights on Tuesday (out of about 29,000 that would have been expected across Europe).

There is a strong possibility that the ash cloud may impact parts of Denmark, southern Norway and southwest Sweden by Wednesday, impacting some flights.

For updates, visit the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority or EUROCONTROL.