Shannon reopens for landings as UK keeps on 'no-fly' zone

Shannon Airport has reopened this afternoon with no scheduled departures for the rest of the day, while the UK has announced that their 'no-fly' zone will stay until early tomorrow morning.

A number of empty aircraft are expected to land during the course of the afternoon in order to position themselves for outward journeys at a later stage.

However, flights at Dublin will be grounded until at least 7pm this evening, while another update on the status at Cork airport will be issued during the course of the afternoon.

Ferry company Stena Line have added extra capacity over the last few days and can offer availability on most sailings for cars and passengers in the coming days.

Stena Line has also been able to add more coach capacity to a choice of destinations including London and Leeds.

The company recommend that customers book through their website, www.stenaline.ie, or their call centre on 01 204 7777 rather than arrive at the port without a booking as they may face disappointment.

It has been announced in the UK that it will remain a “no-fly” zone until at least 1am tomorrow.

Just airspace covering Aberdeen, Inverness, Edinburgh and Newcastle airports, as well as Glasgow and Teesside airports, will be open for flights from 7pm today until 1am tomorrow, air traffic control company Nats said.

Nats added that the situation involving the Icelandic volcanic eruption that has halted all but a handful of flights over the last few days “continued to be variable”.

But Nats did say planes could fly at 20,000ft over UK airspace, enabling airlines such as British Airways to fly aircraft in from abroad and land them at the northern England and Scottish airports that are operational tonight.

Nats said the situation was likely to change during the day and that it would make a further statement at around 9pm.

It is now estimated that as many as 30,000 Irish people could be stranded abroad, unable to get home.

The Government's Taskforce on Emergency Planning said that thousands of passengers are making their way home and that capacity is available on ferries.

Some 1,100 people contacted the crisis response centre established by the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday. The centre can be contacted on 01 4082999.

The Irish Aviation Authority said changes to the size and density of the ash cloud over Ireland would allow it to reopen some airspace.

Overflights are also now permitted above 20,500 feet across Irish airspace.

Aviation chiefs said they will provide updates on flight zones and restrictions at 3.30pm.

Meanwhile, the Government Taskforce on Emergency Planning said air quality was not being affected by the ash cloud and falling particles will pose only minimal health risks.

“The taskforce were advised by the HSE (Health Service Executive) that advice from the European Centre for Disease Control indicates that the amount of ash likely to come to ground in the coming days is minimal, if any, and impact on health will be equally minimal,” the body said.

The taskforce will meet again tomorrow at 10am.