All Flight to and from UK are cancelled from 16.4.2010 until further notice

Atifan

souce: yahoo news

AFP © Enlarge photo


Related Links

• Video: Ash cloud
• Gallery: Chaos erupts
• • Travel chaos from volcanic ash cloud worst since 9/11 April 16, 2010, 11:22 pm
  • UN says Bhutto murder could have been prevented April 16, 2010, 11:15 pm
  • Google gobbling up engineers as profit soars April 16, 2010, 11:28 pm
  • Growing volcano cloud heightens Europe air chaos April 16, 2010, 11:37 pm
  • Japanese fans rush for long-awaited Murakami sequel April 16, 2010, 11:46 pm

The international airline chaos caused by an erupting volcano in Iceland could last for days, as Britain extended its initial flight ban and experts warned the fallout could take days to disperse.
The shutdown forced by the danger posed by the huge cloud of ash has prompted the most extensive shutdown of airspace since the September 11 attacks in 2001.
Gallery: Volcano delays flights around the world
Experts warned the fallout from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in southeast Iceland, which covered the skies of northern Europe on Thursday, could take several days to clear.
Britain extended a ban on most non-emergency flights in its airspace by six hours to 1800 GMT on Friday (2am Saturday Perth time.
The National Air Traffic Services, which manages British airspace, said "restrictions will remain in place in UK-controlled airspace until 1900 (UK time), Friday 16 April, at the earliest."
The eruption has already melted the 250-metre thick glacier around it, causing severe floods.
And with thousands stranded in airports around the world, the European air traffic control group Eurocontrol said planes could stay grounded for at least 48 hours.
It estimated that 5000 to 6000 flights were cancelled overall on Thursday as grey ash from the second major eruption in Iceland in less than a month blew across the north Atlantic, closing major airports more than 2100 kilometres away.
Eurocontrol predicted that at least half of the 600 daily flights between Europe and North America would be cancelled today.
Hundreds of Australian travellers have been caught up in the chaos.
In an unprecedented move, airports across Britain ground to a halt as authorities declared the country's airspace completely closed by noon local time.
Belgium, Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden shut down their airspace because the ash threatened jet engines and visibility.
Finland, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain also experienced major disruption.
The cloud spread over northern Poland late on Thursday, threatening to disrupt attendance at this weekend’s memorial and funeral services for President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in a plane crash on Saturday.
As Polish aviation authorities closed airspace over the north of the country, US President Barack Obama and other world leaders were monitoring the cloud before confirming their attendance at the ceremonies.
Travellers have little idea of when they might be able to take to the skies because authorities do not yet know how long the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier will hover over Europe.
Qantas has warned its passengers booked on flights to and from Europe were expected to face lengthy delays.
Passengers would be given food and accommodation, if needed, until the flights went ahead, she said.
Flights already on their way from Australia to London and the German city of Frankfurt would be held in Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong until the all-clear was given.
An Australian man planning to return home to Perth from Edinburgh said he and his family had been told to expect long delays.
"We were due to fly out this morning and head back to Perth, but now we've been delayed three days," he told Sky News.
"We've been up in St Andrews so we'll probably head back up there and see some friends and extend our holiday."
Read more below




Britain's National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which manages UK airspace, said all flights would remain grounded until Friday at the earliest.
"NATS advises that these restrictions will remain in place in UK-controlled airspace until 0700 tomorrow, Friday 16 April (2200 AEST), at the earliest," it said.
European air safety body Eurocontrol said the ash cloud had reached 55,000 feet (16,764 metres) and was expected to move through northern Britain and could cause problems for another 48 hours.
The volcanic eruption under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier on Wednesday spewed out ash which blew towards Norway and Scotland, and by Thursday had drifted over Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia, Belgium, the Netherlands and France.
Although not visible from the ground, volcanic ash can be highly dangerous for aircraft, clogging up the engines and reducing visibility, experts warned.
Norway, Sweden and Denmark also closed their airspace, Finland halted most air traffic - although Helsinki airport remained open - and Belgian, Dutch and French airspace was progressively shut down during the day.
In France Charles de Gaulle and Orly, the capital's two main airports, were to shut by 2100 GMT on Thursday (0700 AEST on Friday) at the latest, while other airports in the north of the country started closing at 1500 GMT (0100 AEST on Friday), the DGAC aviation authority said.
Icelandic airports, however, reported no problems.
Travellers have been desperately trying to reorganise their travel arrangements or find hotels to stay in until they can complete their journeys.
Eurostar was inundated by thousands of calls from people desperate to book a seat on the high speed train service between London, Brussels and Paris.
Many, however, will receive no compensation for the disruption to their plans because many insurance companies have deemed the volcanic ash chaos an "act of God".
David Rothery, a senior lecturer in earth sciences at Britain's Open University, said flight restrictions were an essential safety precaution.
"This is because if volcanic ash particles are ingested into a jet engine, they accumulate and clog the engines with molten glass," he said.
In 1982, British Airways and Singapore Airways jumbo jets lost their engines when they flew into an ash cloud over Indonesia, while a KLM flight had a similar experience in 1989 over Alaska."On each occasion, the plane fell to within a few thousand feet of the ground before it was possible to restart the engines," Mr Rothery said.

cik_chili

subhanallah dah makin hampir ...aku insaf

dsky

memang kiamat dah makin hampir..nie baru 1 gunung berapi..cuba bayangkan kalo semua gunung berapi di bumi nie meletus serentak..subhanallah..

"Dari Hudzaifah bin Usaid Al-Ghifari ra, berkata : Rasulullah s.a.w. muncul di tengah-tengah kami pada saat kami saling ingat-mengingati. Rasulullah s.a.w. bertanya, 揂pa yang sedang kamu ingat-ingatkan??Sahabat menjawab, 揔ami mengingatkan tentang hari kiamat.?Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda, "Kiamat tidak akan terjadi sebelum engkau melihat 10 tandanya.?Kemudian Rasulullah s.a.w. menyebutkan : Dukhan (kabut asap), Dajjal, binatang (yang pandai berbicara), matahari terbit dari barat, turunnya Isa a.s, Ya抝uj Ma抝uj dan tiga gerhana, gerhana di timur, barat dan Jazirah Arab dan terakhir api yang keluar dari Yaman menghantar manusia ke Mahsyar."

( Hadis : Muslim)