Iceland: Volcano eruption causes huge flight chaos

http://www.timesofearth.com/Europe/?NT=&nid=20742 LONDON - Thousands of flights from European airports have been cancelled because of a cloud of ash thrown up by the eruption of a volcano in Iceland.
A number of countries have closed their airspace, including Britain, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and the northern Poland.

Flights were also severely disrupted in Norway, Finland and Switzerland, while airports in the north of France and Germany were closed later in the evening as volcanic ash drifted across Europe.

The cancellations came after a volcano under Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier erupted for the second time in less than a month on Wednesday, sending plumes of black ash and white steam into the air.

Emergency officials in Iceland were evacuating hundreds of people late on Thursday as new flash floods threatened to endanger farms in the area near an ash-spewing volcano.

Heathrow airport, Europe's busiest, was among the British airports that were to be shut down from 11:00 GMT, authorities said.

In London, Britain's air traffic service said it was extending a ban on most air traffic in England until 1200GMT Friday, but flights to Scotland and Northern Ireland may be allowed to resume.

Half of all transatlantic flights were expected to be cancelled on Friday due to the cloud of ash, the intergovernmental Eurocontrol agency said.

On average, there are around 600 flights between Europe and North America.

The disruption had caused chaos at the airport, which normally sees 1,200 flights in and out a day.
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[jbrabec22]

Bout' time somebody held the camera steady for 2+ seconds!!!!

[NielsShoe]

Its already destroyed the engines of an F-18 that pilot flew through the invisible ash cloud.

[Cubekiller04]

@Parapon3ra so not true my friend ;) i'm from iceland and this ash is not a joke, they are saying that when our biggest volcano starts it's gonna be alot bigger and the ash will go world wide. and what happens when the ash go into the engine is that the ash will turn to glass that's why the engines brake down.

[Parapon3ra]

What a bunch of fags... Just resume service already, it's safe to fly. The ash is too diluted to cause any real damage.

[tessaring]

Anybody understanding what they are saying?

[myzaroth]

@Brendozbechoz i'm asking myself the same question ???

[rad4life1]

I dont know why, but this gives me a hard on!

[max1xxx]

No Refund on booked flights which are cancelled it is.......A act of God Climate change ?carbon emissions tax

Both particulate and fuel smoke concentrations are strongly influenceds the weather ,

No planes could be a good thing, ? fresh air at last and no second hand smokea good quality of life. People have a right to expect that the air they breathe will not harm them uk airspace ban should become a national event  for a week one a year.

[max1xxx]

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord

I've been waiting for this moment, all my life, Oh Lord

Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord

Phill collins

[asdffdas1234]

@asdffdas1234 cont

Plus I believe those are early pictures when it was mostly steam when the ice caps were still melting and not so much ash coming out yet. The no fly zone has now been extended to a 10 mile radius even when there is no ash upwind. Frustrating many sightseeing pilots.