04/05/2010

Ash Threat Causes Fresh Disruption

More flights have been grounded in Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic and parts of Scotland following a new threat from volcanic ash.

Ash is drifting from the same Icelandic volcano that disrupted travel in April.

Services to and from Northern Ireland and the Republic were canceled from 7am.

But according to the BBC all flights in and out of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic will resume at 1pm today.

Passengers booked onto flights travelling to remote parts of Scotland have also been disrupted.

Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd said flights to and from the islands of Tiree, Islay, Barra and Benbecula and Campbeltown in Argyll were suspended.

Apart from the no-fly zone, normal air traffic control operations are expected within Scottish airspace.

In a statement, the UK's Civil Aviation Authority said it informed airlines and airports that increased concentrations of volcanic ash were causing airspace closures in isolated parts of Scotland, affecting local airport operations on Monday and Tuesday morning.

In the rest of the UK, schedules are operating as normal.

Flights over Europe were banned for six days last month because of fears of the effect of volcanic ash on plane engines.

The decision to lift the restrictions followed safety tests that showed the engines could cope in areas of low density ash.

(LB/BMcC)

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