Ash clouds threaten air traffic

[Ancient Observer]

Cool guy,
like you, I have no idea why my reply was deleted.
I think your analysis was partly right, but my point was that RR et al, and BA et al, were publicly saying No-flying when ash was more than zero.
No-one in the CAA could over-rule that.
As neither the engine manuf., nor the operators were willing to work to change the ICAO standards, it needed someone to work through the log jam.
It appears to have been the CAA that forced BA and RR, amongst others, to do the test flights this past weekend. The BA flight was not Willy's idea - it was the CAA's. (Times, 23.04.10).
The CAA bloke in the Grauniad article seems to have taken the initiative.
For once, perhaps, it appears that it was not a Regulator's foul-up, it was a BA/RR et al foul up..
PS - No, I do not work for the CAA!