LOL...
The CAA/NATS would I'm sure have preferred to say something along the lines of "there's ash out there guys'n'gals, check the VAAC as to where it is forecast to be, launch at your discretion", however I'll bet the operators took the view "we're only going if you say its safe to go and if it turns out it wasn't safe then we're coming after you"; the blood-sucking lawyers will have had a field day sorting out where the responsibility rests in the event of some poor sod turning their 747 into a lawn dart.
The whole thing was an exercise in ass covering in the event of an incident. I suspect the operators could've had unrestricted movement from the outset if they'd stated that they wished to continue operating normally, and would accept 100% responsibility for the safe operation of flights through airspace forecast to be contaminated with ash. However, it would appear that they didn't, and (some) are only too quick to start pointing fingers elsewhere. A case of wanting to have one's cake and eat it me thinks.
Wonder how WW will feel two days hence if half his fleet is grounded because of silica contamination of fan blades...
