The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in England said on Monday (23) that flights to or from some areas of the UK may be interrupted due to the ash cloud coming from the Icelandic volcano Grimsvötn, which erupted on Saturday (21).
The National Office of Meteorology expects clouds to cover all of the airspace over Ireland, Scotland and parts of… Englands Until 6am GMT on Tuesday (24), or 3am Brasilia time.
Asked whether the cloud could cause flights to be cancelled, a Civil Aviation Authority spokesman said: “This is certainly how things look at the moment.”
Obama in Ireland
On the same day, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) also indicated the possibility of flights being grounded in its airspace due to the ash cloud, but said it did not expect this to happen until Wednesday morning (25).
President Barack Obama is in the country and is expected to leave Ireland on Tuesday morning (24).
The ash cloud emanating from Grimsvötn volcano was seen on Sunday (22) (Photo: Reuters)
European Union
The European Commission, the European Union's executive body, has also raised the alert. Community Transport spokeswoman Helen Cairns said: “There is a possibility that the volcanic cloud could impact European airspace, starting in the northwest, especially the UK and Ireland, certainly today or tomorrow.”
The spokeswoman said that it is currently difficult to make forecasts beyond the next 48 hours and know whether the cloud will affect other regions of Europe, as weather conditions are constantly evolving and there is little data about the volume and density of the ash emitted.
He explained that a meeting was held on Monday morning (23) of the Crisis Coordination Group, which includes the European Commission, airlines, airports, national aviation authorities, and the European Agency for the Safety of Navigation (Eurocontrol), in which it was decided to issue a series of guidelines.
These recommendations, which are scheduled to be issued on Monday, will be based on the principles set out last year, which define three zones (red, blue or black), depending on the level of ash concentration.
The spokesman also stressed that there will be specific guidance directed to aviation authorities so that they have tools that allow airlines to conduct a safety risk assessment, based on their aircraft engines and other technical information.
The European Commission stressed that the current system is more flexible for Member States and airlines than the system applied during last year's crisis with another volcanic eruption in Iceland, and that at the same time it will ensure the necessary level of safety. .
Moreover, he explained that the European Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, will speak by phone on Monday with European ministers in this sector to address the situation and ensure the greatest possible coordination.
Sources in the European Union explained that Eurocontrol will hold a telephone meeting with European airports on Monday afternoon.
With information from Reuters and Effie.
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