Iceland is once again covered with a thick ash cloud following the eruption of the Grimsvötn volcano on Saturday, but it’s unlikely that the effects will be as far-reaching as last year’s volcanic event.
The ash cloud from this weekend’s eruption will likely reach Scotland on Tuesday and will affect other parts of the UK and Ireland later in the week, but should spare continental Europe.
According to University of Iceland geophysicist Pall Einarsson in an Associated Press interview, the long-lasting effects of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano were the culmination of the perfect storm of ash distribution and weather patterns.
In the wake of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, officials were quick to close European airspace for five days, grounding 63,000 flights, and stranding as many as 10 million travelers.
According to Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Chief Executive Andrew Haines, last year’s event has helped the aviation sector to be better prepared in the case of another ash cloud.
Gideon Ewers, spokesman for the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations has noted that the union will remain vigilant and err on the side of caution, but to date there have been no mass flight cancellations.
Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik International Airport, closed on Sunday and is expected to re-open by 6 p.m. local time on Monday, assuming the latest weather and ash forecasts are accurate and there are no further eruptions.
Icelandair is offering refunds and waiving re-booking fees for those affected by the closures.
Normally, flights from the U.S. follow the jet stream near Iceland so some flight paths are being altered. Air France-KLM reduced the altitude on a flight from Paris to San Francisco adding 5 minutes to the flying time. Other flight paths will experience delays of approximately 15 minutes.
Glasgow, Scotland-based regional airline Logainair canceled 36 flights scheduled for Tuesday morning when the ash cloud is expected to reach Scottish airspace.
By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: Reuters, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, MSNBC, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal
Related Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- The Travel Industry’s Response To The Volcano In Iceland
- A Pilot On The Iceland Volcano’s Effects On Air Travel
- Volcano News Update: Iceland Volcano Video, the Eyjafjoll Eruption
- Travel Insurance Coverage Limits: The Volcano In Iceland
- Natural Disasters section
