Iceland’s volcanic ash cloud disrupts flights across Europe (Second lead)

OSLO/LONDON - Air traffic across northern Europe was severely affected Thursday by ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland that forced airports including London’s Heathrow airport - Europe’s largest hub - to shut down.

The drifting ash from the volcano near the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier, about 120 km east of the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, poses a serious threat to jet engines, and also reduces visibility.

The duration of the closures was uncertain due to both changeable wind and weather conditions, and the actual seismic activity at the volcano.

Scylla Sillaya with the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization, a scientific agency, said the agency expected “a significant amount of ash towards Europe” through Thursday night and into Friday morning.

Continental Europeans likely did not have to worry about health problems as a result of the cloud, but the ash could present a hazard to the people located very near to the source, he said.

All London airports were shut, as were those in Scotland, with regional airports in the north of England also badly affected.

Belgium and the Netherlands also closed down their airspace.

All aircraft will be on the ground by 7 p.m. local time (1700 GMT), a Dutch government official said.

There is no indication how long the closure will continue because the spring weather conditions are unpredictable, the official added.

Meanwhile, Brussels airport closed down operations shortly after 1 p.m. local time, with staff saying that no more flights would leave Thursday and that Friday’s schedule was also under question.

Travellers scrambled to find alternative transportation where possible - such as the Channel Tunnel train to London from Brussels. Operator Eurostar said all trains on Friday were now fully booked.

At Frankfurt International Airport in Germany, a spokesman said by early afternoon that at least 30 incoming and outgoing flights had been cancelled on account of the ash cloud and airspace closures.

Roughly the same number of planes had made unscheduled landings at Frankfurt after diversions. After the closure of Heathrow airport in London, some intercontinental planes ended their journeys in Frankfurt instead.

Delays were also reported for intercontinental flights as planes over the area affected by the drifting ash were rerouted.

Ironically, flights to Reykjavik itself were not initially affected, due to the prevailing wind conditions.

Norway closed its airspace early Thursday, stranding some100,000 passengers. Communications and Transport Minister Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa said most flights would remain grounded also Friday.

“The meteorological forecasts do not look too promising in the coming days,” Kleppa said.

Airports in northern Sweden and northern Finland also shut down Thursday, and all Swedish airports were to be closed latest 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) over the drifting ash, the aviation authority said.

Denmark also grounded aircraft over the volcanic ash cloud, and Copenhagen airport - the Nordic region’s main hub - predicted it would be closed until midday Friday.

Delays and cancellations were reported from other parts of Europe including the Baltic region, Spain and Switzerland.

Meteorologists believe that the ash will take a few days to disperse. It is impossible to predict how much ash will come down, they said.

Some 700 people were ordered to leave their homes near the volcano following a series of tremors earlier this week. A plume of smoke and ash several kilometres high was spotted from the volcano, which had previously erupted last month.