‘Volcanic ash will be blown away from Ireland’
The Government Taskforce on Emergency Planning said the lifting of restrictions was subject to the position of the more concentrated ash cloud that was lying across the north west of Ireland yesterday.
Met Éireann said Ireland could expect south-south westerly winds in the coming days that would bring rain and the volcanic ash plume away from Ireland and towards Greenland.
Irish Aviation Authority deputy chief executive Denis Daly said it was decided to lift restrictions on Irish air space because a safe level of ash ingestion had been defined by aircraft engine manufacturers.
Mr Daly, who was speaking following a meeting of the taskforce in Dublin yesterday, said priority would be given to accommodating those scheduled to fly out in the coming days with the back-up dealt with as capacity became available.
The Department of Transport met representatives of the four main Irish carriers to discuss plans for resumption of services.
Assistant secretary of the Department of Transport Maurice Mullen said the department had stressed that travellers, especially those stranded abroad, must have the most up-to-date travel information.
Mr Mullen said the taskforce wanted to point out that passengers who used another air carrier or an alternative mode to transport to get home would only be entitled to a refund of the cost of their unused flight ticket.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the re-opening of airspace resulted in a substantial reduction in inquiries.
The Crisis Response Centre dealt with more than 800 queries on Tuesday, down from 1,100 on the previous day. Most queries were about making alternative travel arrangements.
Mr Mullen said the continued operation of the centre will be reviewed today as airlines and airports resume services.
