The Big Volcanic Ash from Iceland Thread

Looks like there's a few in the air over the UK already

http://www.flightradar24.com/

Plane from Aberdeen is due to land at NCL any minute according to local radio. Some EZY 's may fly later although little else is planned for the day. There's a plane back out to Aberdeen and one from the Isle of Man.

Apparently the cloud is lower over the UK so planes can overfly but not land in most areas (yet).

[Neil]

Seems unlikely MAN/LHR/LGW will be open today now. NATS saying some of Scotland and down to Newcastle open from 12pm but that's it.

Noticed quite a few LH flying over the UK at 35,000ft + this morning from the US. Must be mighty annoying for UK pax to see other European pax starting to move.

[HighFlyer]

All BA shorthaul cancelled today. They are hopeful to fly long haul scheduled to depart after 4pm (ATC/NATS dependant):

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/vo ... ome_banner

FT reports that Swiss, Belgian and Dutch airspace has opened limited corridors.

[Darren Wheeler]

GLA will close at 13:00 BST.

[Bazz]

NATS are allowing flights to overfly the UK above 20,000 feet.

For take off and landing the picture is not so good:

"Based on the latest Met Office information, part of Scottish airspace including Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh airports will continue to be available from 1300-1900 today, and also south to Newcastle Airport. Restrictions will remain in place over the rest of UK airspace below 20,000ft."

From their 09.00 advisory. Next due around 15.00.

BA from BKK and LAS rumoured to have departed ... let's see if they make it to the UK!

Eyja was definitely quieter early this morning but seems to be picking up a bit now - still a lot less ash than at the weekend.

Sequence of pictures.

[Neil]

VS have announced some extra flights that will be operating IF the airspace is open from 18:00 today. They are flights to the UK from the US/Dubai so maybe they are hopeful it will be open for the morning for these a/c to land back in the UK.

I have nothing sensible to add to the thread as I'm just about brain-dead but can I please, please, please be sitting on the VS75 from Manchester tomorrow - and not have to re-book again.
Neil - where do you get your info please - or is it a secret??

Katie

I have nothing sensible to add to the thread as I'm just about brain-dead but can I please, please, please be sitting on the VS75 from Manchester tomorrow - and not have to re-book again.
Neil - where do you get your info please - or is it a secret??

Katie

It is here

[Neil]

Actually I am finding the VS FB page the quickest and most helpful with the info. It seems Gregg is off for a few days, but they are still being very helpful and informative on there.

Actually I am finding the VS FB page the quickest and most helpful with the info. It seems Gregg is off for a few days, but they are still being very helpful and informative on there.

Thanks Neil & thanks for the link HWVlover.

Katie

[Bazz]

I have stumbled across this site. It is formatted for iPod/iPhone and seems to be a good source of current info. There is a full web site of course but I believe you have to be a member where as this feed is open to all. BTW it doesn't refresh automatically on the PC you need to reload the page for updates.

Have a look http://www.flightradar24.com/ . LH seem to be flying over us on there way across the atlantic

BA have just announced 12 long haul flights are on their way to Heathrow, ex Beijing, Singapore and US.

BA have just announced 12 long haul flights are on their way to Heathrow, ex Beijing, Singapore and US.

Wonder if they'll be allowed the land though???

[Pete]

According to the current estimates, the first bird Virgin are planning to get off the ground will be the VS29 LHR-BGI at 19:30 local time, then the VS15 LGW-MCO at 20:00.

Will be interesting to watch those schedules and see if they hold after the 15:00 updates.

[Pete]

This really conflicts with Met Office reports. Who is right?

This really conflicts with Met Office reports. Who is right?

Ahh yes, our Met office who can't forecast beyond their elbow! NATS taking information from the Met office, everything shut. No wonder.

What frustrates me is that all the news and information available is so vague, there's no transparency. If AMS is fully open as well as CDG, is it really so much worse in London? I fear we're being had on by incapability more than anything else.

Meanwhile, looks like Heathrow won't open today, the BA flights will head to Spain. Wonder what VS will do.

This really conflicts with Met Office reports. Who is right?

Ahh yes, our Met office who can't forecast beyond their elbow! NATS taking information from the Met office, everything shut. No wonder.

What frustrates me is that all the news and information available is so vague, there's no transparency. If AMS is fully open as well as CDG, is it really so much worse in London? I fear we're being had on by incapability more than anything else.

Meanwhile, looks like Heathrow won't open today, the BA flights will head to Spain. Wonder what VS will do.

I can't help but suspect much of this inertia/incapability is driven by political forces. Not known for being pro-active at the best of times.

According to the BBC the airlines have been at the CAA trying to persuade them that the NATs data is simply based upon a computer model and bears no relation to reality.

I can't believe how fed up all this is making me feel. It looks less and less likely that my flight (and that of countless others) will go on Saturday, and I'd kind of sooner know for sure that it isn't going, rather than will it, won't it? At least that way, i could try to move forward... this is purgatory.

Yeah, yeah, I know that makes me sound like a child, but it's how I'm feeling at the moment. Please excuse me while I lie on the floor and kick and scream

According to the current estimates, the first bird Virgin are planning to get off the ground will be the VS29 LHR-BGI at 19:30 local time

VS029 LHR-BGI? Okay, I'm confused now...

I just picked this up on the pprune site... anyone able to interpret it???

http://www.eurocontrol.int/corporate/ga ... 200UTC.pdf