Iceland volcano ash hits European flights again
Sunday, 9 May 2010
BRUSSELS, May 8 (AFP): European air traffic faced growing disruption Saturday as an ash cloud from an Iceland volcano threatened to close airports as far east as Spain's Barcelona or Marseille in France, controllers warned.
"During the day, the area affected by volcanic ash is expected to extend from Iceland, south to Portugal and possibly as far east as Barcelona and Marseille," European air traffic control monitors Eurocontrol said in a statement.
"Ash eruptions are ongoing and the area of potential ash contamination is expanding," it stressed.
Transatlantic flights, being re-routed around the area owing to different concentrations of ash particles and predicted engine tolerance levels at different altitudes, were already experiencing "substantial delays," Brussels-based Eurocontrol warned.
"During the day, the area affected by volcanic ash is expected to extend from Iceland, south to Portugal and possibly as far east as Barcelona and Marseille," European air traffic control monitors Eurocontrol said in a statement.
"Ash eruptions are ongoing and the area of potential ash contamination is expanding," it stressed.
Transatlantic flights, being re-routed around the area owing to different concentrations of ash particles and predicted engine tolerance levels at different altitudes, were already experiencing "substantial delays," Brussels-based Eurocontrol warned.