redneck wrote:

Bryan Benn wrote:Most European airspace is open now.

It seems after the big shut down for six days, costing European airlines an estimated 1.7 billion US $, the "authorities" decided it was safe, after all, to fly through most parts of the ash cloud.

20,000 Euro flights a day canceled. If each flight is 99.999% safe, that means there will be more than one crash each week.

Hope they know what they are doing.

Kinda makes you realize how safe flying really is. The accident ratio is amazingly small.

redneck wrote:

Bryan Benn wrote:Most European airspace is open now.

It seems after the big shut down for six days, costing European airlines an estimated 1.7 billion US $, the "authorities" decided it was safe, after all, to fly through most parts of the ash cloud.

20,000 Euro flights a day canceled. If each flight is 99.999% safe, that means there will be more than one crash each week.

Hope they know what they are doing.

Is there a direct correlation between the level of ash you are allowed to fly through and the cost to the airlines of not flying?

Arthur Digbee wrote:This just goes to show you: DON'T MESS WITH ICELAND.

They told the EU to f-off a couple weeks ago, and now they have let loose the dogs of ash.

The last time Europe messed with these people the decadent Europeans got three centuries of Viking raids.

Well, not quite true. Iceland was Danish until 1944, and used their isolation during WWII (when they were occupied by the British and the U.S.) to declare independence unilaterally, which made for some bad feelings in Denmark for decades. Also the Vikings did not come from Iceland, but they settled it (mainly from Norway).

The continent-wide closure seemed like overkill to me based on our frequent experience with ash here in Alaska--we do have closures and disruptions, but they aren't so broad. This WSJ article suggests the recent situation in Europe may be a case of one part of the world not drawing from lessons learned in another (usually it's North America not learning from Europe, but this time it's the other way round ...)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704133804575198183757930998.html

Bryan Benn wrote:
Is there a direct correlation between the level of ash you are allowed to fly through and the cost to the airlines of not flying?

The volcano continues erupting and even with aircraft allowed to fly though a small concentration of ash considerable distribution is occurring most weeks.

So the limit on the ash density that can be flown through has been doubled today.

I do hope the limit won't keep being lifted until we lose an aircraft here in European airspace.

Bryan Benn wrote:

Bryan Benn wrote:
Is there a direct correlation between the level of ash you are allowed to fly through and the cost to the airlines of not flying?

The volcano continues erupting and even with aircraft allowed to fly though a small concentration of ash considerable distribution is occurring most weeks.

So the limit on the ash density that can be flown through has been doubled today.

I do hope the limit won't keep being lifted until we lose an aircraft here in European airspace.

I got a flight to Amsterdam in 5 weeks, sure as heck hope the volcano is done by then, for myself and for everyone else affected. Not that I mind the reminder that nature > man, but I'd prefer to doodle around on Kili /meru / kenya this year then staying closer to home.

The volcano has only been erupting a couple of months, and last time it went on for 15 months!

But Amsterdam is further away from it, so the risk of disruption is less than in parts of the UK.

Just had my first flight delay. Got lucky with only a 1/2 day disruption when due to return from Spain. Spent my time idling in the sun Though let's hope the big one doesn't erupt.

RayMondo wrote:Just had my first flight delay. Got lucky with only a 1/2 day disruption when due to return from Spain. Spent my time idling in the sun Though let's hope the big one doesn't erupt.

My wife was supposed to spend most of this month in France. Her flight was canceled due to ash cloud and she couldn't get another.

I'm glad I'm not headed for Europe this year. Hopefully it's all done by next spring