Flight disruptions 'well into next week'

Irish airspace is facing massive disruption for a week as weather conditions are set to continue pushing the volcanic ash cloud across the country, it emerged today.

Aviation chiefs have extended a flight ban in and out of all airports in the Republic until 1pm tomorrow.

“The ash from the volcano is now being emitted to a higher level and thus the area of coverage and risk to aircraft has increased,” said an Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) spokesman.

The ban includes all transatlantic flights.

In the North, flights will be grounded from 7pm until at least 7am tomorrow.

“Similar types of restrictions are enforced in Northern and Central Europe as well as the UK,” said the spokesman.

There was some easing of restrictions yesterday but worsening conditions forced air safety chiefs to shut down airports in Cork, Kerry and Shannon last night.

The ban was extended to all other airports in the Republic this morning.

Sparking fears of widespread disruption for the rest of the week, Met Éireann predicted no change in the weather patterns sweeping massive plumes across Ireland, Britain and mainland Europe.

Forecaster Evelyn Cusack, who briefed the Government Taskforce on Emergency Planning, said it could be the end of next week before conditions change.

“It looks like we’re still into a regime where winds will be coming down directly from Iceland across Ireland, Britain, northern and central Europe well into next week,” she said.

“In fact, our latest forecast models don’t show a change to Atlantic south westerlies until next Friday at the earliest.”

Government officials and State agency representatives met at the National Emergency Co-ordinating Centre this morning.

The taskforce said it was likely significant restrictions on air travel would continue for the next few days.

It advised all intending passengers to check with their airline before travelling to airports.

“Met Éireann does not expect much change in overall weather at this time,” it said in a statement.

The Environmental Protection Agency told the taskforce there were no air quality, public health or environmental concerns in Ireland as a result of the eruption.

The European Centre of Disease Control indicated the amount of ash likely to come down from the atmosphere onto ground was minimal and the impact on public health would be equally minimal.

“However, as at any time, those with respiratory disease or infections should ensure they have their medication with them at all times,” the taskforce advised.

The taskforce is to meet again tomorrow morning.

The lingering ash cloud has forced President Mary McAleese to abandon plans to fly to Poland for tomorrow’s State funeral of President Lech Kaczynski.

The Air Corps said the conditions made it impossible to travel to Krakow for the ceremony.

President Lech Kaczynski was among 96 victims, including his wife and much of Poland’s ruling elite, who were wiped out in the Smolensk air disaster.

In the UK, flight restrictions will remain in place until at least 7am tomorrow, air traffic control company Nats said.

A spokesman said it was “most unlikely that many flights will operate today” with forecasts suggesting the ash cloud will begin to cover the whole of the UK this evening.

“There may be some airspace available within Scotland, Northern Ireland and England north of Leeds up till 7pm, which may enable some domestic flights to operate under individual co-ordination with ATC,” he said.

Meanwhile, experts have warned the volcanic eruptions in Iceland could continue for months, leading to protracted travel chaos for millions of passengers.

Volcanologists said it was impossible to predict when eruptions might cease as forecasters said air travel will be hit as long as ash continues to billow from Mount Eyjafjallajokull.

Dr Dougal Jerram, of Durham University’s Department of Earth Sciences, said establishing an end point was “one of the difficult problems”.

“We are getting to the stage now when we are good at being able to predict when volcanoes are going to erupt,” he said.

“We know when things are going to happen, what is difficult to predict or understand is how long a volcanic eruption is going to go on for. Some are relatively short-lived, but some are months long.”

Dr Jerram added: “The only thing we can do is wait and continue monitoring the volcanic system. It is one of the phenomena of our planet which we just have to marvel at.”