Volcano ash from Iceland hits UK & European flights

Volcano ash from Iceland hits UK flight plans
In this image made available by the Icelandic Coastguard, Wednesday April 14, 2010, smoke and steam rises from the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland, which erupted for the second time in less than a month, melting ice, shooting smoke and steam into the air and forcing hundreds of people to flee rising floodwaters.
The eruption is the second in Iceland in less than a month

Airline passengers are facing disruption across the UK as an ash cloud from an Icelandic volcanic eruption drifts towards the country.

All of Scotland's airports were shut and there were disruptions at others including Manchester, Liverpool, Stansted, Newcastle and Birmingham.

The Air Traffic Control Service (Nats), imposed restrictions after the Met Office warned ash could damage engines.

All passengers have been advised to contact their airlines prior to travel.

'Significant disruption'

Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports were shut and Nats said it was restricting flights "in accordance with international civil aviation policy".

The ash cloud disrupted all flights to and from Manchester with a similar picture at Newcastle airport where all arrivals were cancelled and all outbound flights either cancelled or subject to indefinite delay.

Birmingham airport warned of severe disruption with about 90% of all flights cancelled, and there were problems reported at East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Cardiff and Southampton.

A Nats spokesman said: "The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre has issued a forecast that the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Iceland will track over Europe tonight.

"Nats is working with Eurocontrol and our colleagues in Europe's other air navigation service providers to take the appropriate action to ensure safety in accordance with international aviation policy."

Further south, five easyJet flights due to depart from Stansted airport were cancelled and there were also delays at Southampton airport.

Nats warned the cloud is expected to move south.

A BAA spokesman said: "Passengers intending to fly today are asked to contact their airline for further information and should expect disruption in the coming hours.

Easyjet said the cloud could cause "significant disruption".

The eruption under a glacier in the Eyjafjallajoekull area of Iceland is the second in Iceland in less than a month.

Volcano cloud Britons could return via 'Spanish hub'

The disruption has affected hundreds of thousands of travellers

Britons stranded by flight restrictions as a result of the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland could be returned to the UK through a "Spanish hub".

Ministers met to discuss plans before UK flight restrictions were extended until at least 1900 BST on Monday.

Ideas included flying those outside the no-fly zone to Spain and then using the Royal Navy and requisitioning merchant ships to help return them to the UK.

Gordon Brown has spoken to his Spanish counterpart about the plan, No 10 said.

A spokeswoman said the prime minister and the Spanish leader had explored whether Britons could be returned by landing in Spain - which is open to flights - from certain parts of the world

Dazzer wrote:I also have a flight booked for 22 April. TG 911 is that the same as you