EasyJet planes get ash-detection gear

Luton: EasyJet will become the first airline in the world to fit its fleet with ash-detection gear in an effort to minimise disruption from volcanic eruptions.

Equipment that uses infra-red technology to evaluate the density of dust will be attached to a dozen aircraft at a cost of £1 million (€1.2m) within the next 12 months, chief executive Andy Harrison said.

European airline traffic fell 11.7% in April, exceeding the worst declines at the height of the recession, as ash from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano grounded flights.