Valid from : 16/04/2010 13:37 Until : 17/04/2010 08:00 EST
Text : DUE TO SIGNIFICANT VOLCANIC ACTIVITY FROM VOLCANO EYJAFJOLL 1702-02 PSN 6337.5N01936.4W. OPERATORS ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR EB SIGMET WITH REFERENCE TO VOLCANIC ASH. AIRCRAFT OPERATORS ARE ADVISED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ICAO REGULATIONS. ATC UNITS CANNOT ISSUE IFR CLEARANCES TO TRAFFIC IN AREAS AFFECTED BY OR FORECAST TO BE AFFECTED BY THE VOLCANIC ASH CLOUD. OPERATORS ARE ADVISED THAT AFFECTED AREAS ARE CLOSED FOR VFR FLIGHTS.VFR FLIGHTS OUTSIDE CONTROLLED AIRSPACE BELOW 4500FT AMSL,POLICE, SAR, HEL,EMERGENCY AND MEDICAL FLIGHTS ARE EXEMPTED.VFR FLT OPERATORS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AND MUST ASSURE THEMSELVES THAT THEIR INTENDED FLT CAN BE CONDUCTED IN A SAFE MANNER BEFORE FLYING.
Lower limit: SFC Upper limit: FL245
PICTURES: Finnish F-18 engine check reveals effects of volcanic dust
Date: 16/04/10
Source: Flightglobal.com
By Craig Hoyle
The Finnish air force has released images showing the effects of volcanic dust ingestion from inside the engines of a Boeing F-18 Hornet fighter, while it prepares to make inspections on several additional aircraft.
If - as announced - Belgian airspace stays closed till 20:00LT, the UK Airspace will be closed again due to returning clouds - the German airspace is closed - Rynair cancelled all its flights till monday morning - Italy has closed its airspace in the northern part and ALL main airports in France are closed until further notice the information is very logical to me.
Restart operations as from 14:00LT does not mean that flights are returning to normal instantly.
At least 127.000 passengers are still to be notified.
Takes about 5,5 days to clear the back log and to attempting to return to normal schedule.
Mother nature rules this time.
And according to VAAC teleconference... the worst is still to come... more activity at the big one on Iceland registered.
German airspace is closed as well, but right now Lufthansa is getting back a few 747's and A340's. They are flying low level (FL125) from the southeast towards Frankfurt.
In total 7 B747-400's and 3 A340-600's are on the way. Most of them using DLH885x-flightnumbers.