CRAB, why do you beleive that the management should be able to determine when we should be flying (re "If I were an airline boss") if you actually work in civil aviation you would know that the management would want us flying regardless of what risks exists (generally) and it is only through sound regulation, hindisght and experience that systems are put in place to prevent this kind of attitude.
What kind oif "climbdown" are you expecting. Is it that eventually we will fly and say see...SEE....I haven't died.
God save the unsuspecting passengers from the likes of you and the others on this forum who have suddenly become VULCONOLOGIST ENGINE SPECIALISTS in less than a few days.
I have no idea how much ash constitutes risk and I would hazard a guess that the powers that be probably are not 100% sure either.
What is definitley sure is that no-one will be put at risk if aircraft do not fly in the ash cloud.
This volcano could go on for weeks....months and I am sure that eventually other factors will come into play. More information. Data on how the ash is concetrated and where.
I am pretty sure that in my lifetime...no volcanos have erupted near the UK and Northern europe before, so it is going to take some time for the Authorities to create a safe operating environment around such phenomenom and feel comfortable again about the risk to passengers and crews.
Making a tough decision is just that....TOUGH. Tough because to reverse that decision you need a definitive change in circumstances, perception and/or attitude.
I am more than happy to wait for the Authorities to come up with a definitive answer.
DB