Volcano disrupts all flights to UK (April 2010)

[harvyk]

May seem like a stupid question, but why don't the A/C fly around the cloud of ash to/from EU - or is it too massive of a cloud = too great a distance? Or are they unwilling to do so since the BA9 incident in 1982?

My complete armchair opinion is that they probably don't want to risk having a whole lot of planes in the sky sucking in the ash if to blew over Europe, as that could mean a whole lot of emergency landings, which the airports would probably be unable to cope with. (How many airports in the world could handle 10 emergency landings at once?)

BA9 proved to them what a danger ash is, and their risk assessment simply says the risk is too high of the ash moving in.

 

[Mal]

May seem like a stupid question, but why don't the A/C fly around the cloud of ash to/from EU - or is it too massive of a cloud = too great a distance? Or are they unwilling to do so since the BA9 incident in 1982?

Have a look at this graphic: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/data/VAG_1271374304.png

Red is ash up to FL200, Green is up to FL350.

There's not much avoiding that can be done at the moment.

 

[uzza]

Thanks mal!

I was just googling to try and find a graphic like that!

I'm just lucky that my travel is to the US West coast on Wednesday and that hopefully QF doesn't get any knock on issues to the wider network Fingers double crossed!!!

 

[esquire]

HI Everyone - made it into LHR yesterday (Thursday) on QF31, just before the airport closed (although there was a news headline that they allowed an Air New Zealand plane to land after the closure)

Airport was chaotic - I *had* a connecting flight to Edinburgh - but rather than advising connecting customers arriving at T3 - they released all the cancelled BA connector flight bags into one baggage carousel in T5 :!: - never seen such a huge array of different airlines and bags coming from far away places - had to spend the 2.5 hours doing something whilst waiting for the QF bags to come out last....

I didn't even bother with my connection to Edinburgh - BA were offering bus trips (8 hours!) but the queue was taking 2 hours to make a bookiong and then be allocated a time sometime in the day for the bus - so I just checked myself into the BA arrivals lounge, urgently booked some hotels in London, had a shower, some breakie and got the Heathrow Express into town .

Now lets just hope I all t he dust clouds have gone so I can get my flight from MAN to GOT on Monday!....

 

[uzza]

I just found this article on The Globe and Mail (essentially Canada's Australian/Age):

Hard to predict how long volcanic ash from eruption in Iceland could disrupt air traffic - The Globe and Mail

Great graphic showing the movement of the ash and why is affects aircraft.

 

[huwcar]

Hmm... the Mrs is planned to be off to the UK on Cathay this Monday 19th April.

I presume at this stage that it may be problematic. I wonder what is covered under travel insurance?

 

[samh004]

Have a look at this graphic: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/data/VAG_1271374304.png

Red is ash up to FL200, Green is up to FL350.

There's not much avoiding that can be done at the moment.

Looks like Ireland is ideally positioned for flights to the US there, but not a lot else.

Just wondering, if the ash is moving around at a high altitude, would a/c from other countries be able to fly out at a much lower level until they’re clear of the ash before climbing. I know this would burn more fuel, but if this turned into an extended delay, removing the a/c so they can be used on other routes would be useful.

 

[markis10]

Interesting how QF have cancelled the SIN services and replaced it with a SYD-MEL_SIN operation, shows you how much through traffic there was!

 

[Mal]

Qantas Waiver for re-booking etc has now been extended to include flights 15-18April.

Fly - Major Disruptions

 

[Danger]

HI Everyone - made it into LHR yesterday (Thursday) on QF31 . . .

. . . so I just checked myself into the BA arrivals lounge . . .

Off topic, I know, but I'm curious: your info says you're Qantas Platinum and you note here you went to the BA Arrivals Lounge, assumedly in T5. There's plenty of conjecture about whether a QF WP flying Y can access the BA Arrivals Lounge in T5 when arriving on (i) BA or (ii) QF.

You've noted you were flying QF but was it in Y or J/F? Did you have any problems accessing the T5 Arrivals Lounge?

 

[Mal]

The restriction now extends to 1am Saturday (BST), with some exemptions for certain routes (mainly Ireland/Scotland and perhaps some Atlantic routes ).

NATS

NATS advises that restrictions preventing flights in English controlled airspace will remain in place until 0100 (UK time) tomorrow, Saturday 17 April, at the earliest.

Flights in Northern Ireland and the Western Isles of Scotland to and from Glasgow and Prestwick will continue to be allowed until 1900 (UK time) subject to individual co-ordination. North Atlantic traffic to and from Glasgow, Prestwick and Belfast may also be allowed in this period.

From 1900 (UK time), forecasts indicate that Scottish airspace may be able to accept domestic flights within Scotland and Northern/Southern Ireland, and North Atlantic flights to/from airports in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The mess grows.

 

[Flying Fox]

May seem like a stupid question, but why don't the A/C fly around the cloud of ash to/from EU - or is it too massive of a cloud = too great a distance? Or are they unwilling to do so since the BA9 incident in 1982?

Well done to the crew but I also believe that they were unaware of the ash cloud at night.

 

[wandering_fred]

Perhaps this will mean that the airport of partner IB will see QF airplanes. :mrgreen::shock:

But getting from MAD to LHR (or elsewhere in the UK) might remain problematic given the length of the rail journey via Barcelona and Paris.

Interesting times.


Fred

 

[dajop]

But getting from MAD to LHR (or elsewhere in the UK) might remain problematic given the length of the rail journey via Barcelona and Paris.

It was 1992, but I went from Paris to Madrid via Bordeaux not Barcelona ... thought Barcelona would be a bit out of the way...

 

[jb747]

HI Everyone - made it into LHR yesterday (Thursday) on QF31, just before the airport closed (although there was a news headline that they allowed an Air New Zealand plane to land after the closure)

QF30 and 32 got out with about 15 minutes to spare. I watched an ANZ aircraft approaching on 09L as I was heading out to 09R, and it landed about 20 minutes prior to the closure.

 

[samh004]

It was 1992, but I went from Paris to Madrid via Bordeaux not Barcelona ... thought Barcelona would be a bit out of the way...

The high speed line runs between Paris and Marseille, Barcelona and Madrid. The line heading up to Bordeaux isn’t as fast. I think the difference in travelling time is only a few hours though.

 

[QF WP]

Courtesy of Flying Krug on Business Traveller:

Not looking good for Friday at all, with all BA shorthaul cancelled until at least 7pm:
British Airways News - Latest BA News

Here is the forecast ash map as of 0245 this morning:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/data/VAG_1271374304.png

Though the weather does seem to change on Saturday with strong easterly gulf stream coming further south which should blow the ash over Scandinavia, clearing northern France and Southern Britain:
Metcheck.com - Atlantic Jet Stream Forecast - [Updated on 16 April 2010 at 12:00] - Weather Feeds - Live Data - Long Range Weather Forecasts

Though there seems to have been less activity overnight, the respite might be brief as the eruptions continue intermittently.

Courtesy of RogerVictor on Business Traveller:

Unless the airports relax the night jet ban and the airlines can staff aircraft services that is effectively a full stop until 0600 on Saturday morning.

A 2 day cancellation, in some ways, is better for the airlines as the aircraft rotations will be in the correct order.

 

[Mal]

Even with the latest map : http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/data/VAG_1271417376.png things are not looking good. I doubt anyone will be flying this weekend from LHR and other nearby airports.

Qantas has kindly rebooked my flights to the dates I wanted, so pretty happy there. Did take ages to get things rebooked as class availability was limited.

 

[esquire]

Off topic, I know, but I'm curious: your info says you're Qantas Platinum and you note here you went to the BA Arrivals Lounge, assumedly in T5. There's plenty of conjecture about whether a QF WP flying Y can access the BA Arrivals Lounge in T5 when arriving on (i) BA or (ii) QF.

You've noted you were flying QF but was it in Y or J/F? Did you have any problems accessing the T5 Arrivals Lounge?

I was flying in J (although op-up from PE). The lounge staff had a sheet with pics of which Oneworld Cards are eligible (and they did ask which class I flew over in). Apparently as it was QF31 they were able to put the corresponding BA codeshare in the system.

It did require a bit of work however (and review by the supervisor) to get past the initial "not a BA flight" reply.

 

[QF WP]

Things are starting to get interesting on the delays.

From lloydah on Business Traveller:

My parents were supposed to fly back from Delhi to Manchester yesterday, obviously couldn't get through - they were put up in a five-star hotel by Emirates so everyone was very happy, except that a representative from Emirates arrived at the hotel this morning to inform them that Emirates had now discharged their 24-houduty of care to them and they were to vacate the hotel. "They've decided this isn't good enough, so they are refusing to remove their suitcases from the bedrooms and they're staging a sit-in."

From TomBaum:

If anyone is really desperate to get to the US over this weekend, Aer Lingus are operating from Dublin and have availability tomorrow, Sunday and into next week for New York. If you can walk on water and get yourself to Dublin, there's an option which may be better than waiting for the dust to settle (literally) here.

From continentalclub:

The following BA flights are operating this evening, with ground transportation planned for passengers to travel onward to London:
*BA174 From New York (JFK) - Arriving in Glasgow (GLA)
*BA176 From New York (JFK) - Arriving in Prestwick (PIK)
*BA182 From New York (JFK) - Arriving in Glasgow (GLA)
*BA184 From New York (EWR) - Arriving in Prestwick (PIK)
*BA284 From San Francisco (SFO) - Arriving in Glasgow (GLA)
*BA268 From Los Angeles (LAX) - Arriving in Prestwick (PIK)
*BA102 From Calgary (YYC) - Arriving in Aberdeen (ABZ)


Now I've just realised that my brother is in Dublin (having finished a week long conference) and luckily(??) is staying for a 2 week holiday, flying out early May with Etihad via Abu Dhabi to Brisbane. He might be lucky because of the time lapse tha the volcanic ash might have dispursed ...alternatively he might be unlucky if it continue to spew forth.