Airports remain open as volcano calms
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said Irish airspace remains clear of fallout from the ash cloud that affected 450 flights in Germany yesterday, principally at Hamburg, Bremen and Berlin airports. Last night, the German airports were fully open again.
However, the IAA warned a small number of European destinations could still be affected.
“Passengers planning to travel by air over the coming days are advised to regularly check their airline websites in advance of going to the airport,” said an IAA spokeswoman. “Passengers should also check the status of the airports they are travelling to.”
Airline chiefs breathed a sigh of relief after the Grimsvotn volcano stopped erupting early yesterday afternoon, five days after it started spewing ash 12 miles into the sky.
Dr David Rothery of Britain’s Open University Volcano Dynamics Group added: “I am cautiously optimistic the main ash- producing phase of this eruption has now ceased.”
Icelandic Met Office meteorologist Hrafn Gudmundsson said geophysicists had decided to make the call to declare the eruption finally over.
The IAA will continue to monitor the situation and is in contact with the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) in London and with Met Éireann, the Department of Transport, airlines, airports and European air traffic service providers.
Eurocontrol, the European organisation for the safety of air navigation, said information received yesterday from VAAC indicated ash cloud coverage would dissipate overnight.
The eruption at Grimsvotn was the most powerful since 1873 and stronger than Eyjafjallajokull, the Icelandic volcano whose eruption last year caused air traffic chaos, grounding up to 10 million passengers.
