Volcanic ash prompts Ireland to close its airports

[Guest guest]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100503/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_iceland_volcano

Volcanic ash prompts Ireland to close its airports

8 mins ago

DUBLIN, Ireland – Ireland's Aviation Authority said Monday it was banning all

flights in and out of Ireland on Tuesday morning because of a renewed risk of

volcanic ash drifting south from Iceland.

All flights to and from Irish airports will be banned from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

local time Tuesday (0600GMT to 1200GMT; 2 a.m to 8 a.m EDT), the authority said

in a statement. The restrictions will not affect planes flying over Ireland from

Britain and Europe.

" The decision is based on the safety risks to crews and passengers as a result

of the drift south of the volcanic ash cloud caused by the northeasterly winds, "

the statement said.

Ireland is expected to experience ash concentrations that exceed acceptable

engine manufacturer tolerance levels, the authority said.

The budget airline air said in a statement that its flights to and from

Northern Ireland, a British province, and Scotland, will be disrupted.

Iceland's Meteorological Office said the restrictions were caused by a change in

wind direction in the past few days, not an increased amount of ash spewing from

southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull (pronounced ay-yah-FYAH-lah-yer-kuhl)

volcano.

The eruption continued to be stable, the forecaster said.

The volcano unleashed a massive ash plume last month that turned much of

European into a no-fly zone for days. More than 100,000 flights were canceled

and airlines say they may lose more than $2 billion.

[Guest guest]

The last time this volcano erupted it went of for several months. This time it could keep up that pattern. Katla could still go as well and things will get much worse.

In a message dated 5/3/2010 5:17:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

Volcanic ash prompts Ireland to close its airports