Ozaub wrote:
"Sadly nobody was interested when Australian scientists developed a volcanic ash detector ten years ago".
Down here in Australasia/South Pacific we are surrounded by active volcanoes (Yassur in Vanuatu is in permanent eruption). That's why Australia paid attention to this problem. But - as Ozaub hints - nobody has ever been interested in properly studying the problem or spending money on mitigating technologies and strategies. 'Fly round the bugger' has been the simple response. Yet we have plenty of evidence that volcanic ejecta are unlike other forms of dust, are much more damaging than them, that they are hard to detect when invisible to the naked eye, and yet can be damaging even when invisible (Australian aviators in PNG know this very well).
If anything good comes out of the disastrous social and economic consequences of this natural event it will be that, at last, attention and resources will be applied to the many scientists around the world who have spent decades devoted to an underfunded and unappreciated cottage industry concerned with the impacts of volcanic activity on aircraft operations.
As you can see, as usual, it is not a conspiracy but a c*** up, and one that was embedded by generations of industry and government decision makers resulting in a no-win legacy to the hapless current generation who have to try and deal with this situation. Feel for them, don't yell at them - or, at least, not until they show signs of ducking the issue again when this all dies down.