Ash Cloud Moves - UK Airports Back in Operation

UK airports are now operating again after another set of closures imposed by volcanic ash drifting over from Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in Iceland.
No commercial airliners were allowed to leave a number of airports in several parts of the UK on the evening of 5 May 2010, but the new Icelandic ash cloud has now moved away, out of UK airspace, according to the latest advice from the National Air Traffic Services.
‘The high density area of the volcanic ash cloud is now lying off the west of Ireland and as a result there are currently no restrictions within UK airspace’, NATS said in an online statement issued on 6 May, adding: ‘We continue to maintain close dialogue with the Met Office and with the CAA, which agrees no fly zones based on Met Office data.’
Volcano Ash: Air Travel
In April 2010, volcanic ash emanating from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull Volcano brought European air travel to a halt for nigh-on six days. With effect from 20 April onwards, things started back to get back to normal, but on 3 May, a new wave of European airport disruption began to take hold, affecting airports in Northern Ireland and Scotland especially.

The new airport closures coincided with discussions between key European transport officials on how to deal with future airspace closures. Among the measures being discussed were proposals to link up individual national airspaces into one, unified airspace umbrella, thereby establishing a “single European regulator for a single European sky.”
Volcanic Ash Monitoring
Elsewhere, delegates present at an Earth sciences conference taking place in Austria have been told that new satellite technology will need to be pioneered that is geared towards volcanic ash monitoring.
“Of the present suite of satellite instruments, none were developed for the volcanic ash problem”, Doctor Fred Prata explained, adding: “Therefore, they are sub-optimal for detecting and determining quantities of volcanic ash.”
UK Airspace Operations
While there are now no limits on UK airspace operations, according to officials, the situation remains subject to change. “There are glimmers of optimism and hope, but we've been there before”, NATS director Ian Hall commented. “The [Eyjafjallajökull] volcano is still erupting, the wind is still blowing from the wrong direction as far as our airspace is concerned, and so long as it does that we'll have to stay on our toes.”