Volcanic Ash Still Impacting Flights in North of Scotland

Submitted by edg on Thu, 22 Apr '10 8.11pm

Flights to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow airports are gradually returning to normal service although the UK's Air Traffic Control Service (NATS) has warned that a heavy cloud of ash over the North of Scotland is affecting airports in the Highlands and Islands.

At 7.30pm today NATS states on its website:

"Most of UK airspace continues to be available from 1900 today (local) until 0100 (local) tomorrow, Friday 23 April. There is a no-fly zone over parts of Scottish airspace which means that Kirkwall, Wick and Inverness airports will not be available for operations during this period. Stornoway is already closed and will also remain closed throughout this period."

The organisation says that normal operations are gradually returning as airlines get planes, crew, and schedules back into position.

"NATS is managing the UK’s controlled airspace today at levels approaching 80 per cent of normal operations with 2,860 flights handled up to 1600 (local) today.

At this time of year, we would be dealing with fewer than 5,000 movements every 24 hours and the current numbers reflect the numbers of airlines which still have aircraft out of position. Tomorrow, we are likely to be starting the day at 90 per cent."

NATS adds that conditions "remain dynamic".

"Conditions around the movement of the layers of the volcanic ash cloud over the UK remain dynamic. NATS will continue to monitor the latest Met Office information and the CAA’s updates on the density of the ash cloud across the UK."