Highlow
I take your point but I really do not believe the airlines are pushing in the way you fear. We operate around ash a lot in certain parts of the world and the airlines are well aware of the problems and risks associated with ash clouds.
I appreciate your analogy but this is a very different situation to Challenger and this is not perhaps the thread to get in to why. The airlines will not push to fly if they feel it is unsafe they just want a sensible policy that exists in areas of the world where ash encounters are common.
However, I do understand your concerns but I really believe the situation is now being managed appropriately and as time goes by the authorities will improve the way they manage the airspace with better models and detection methods. The one silver lining is we will get unified airspace over europe sooner rather than later this will, if done properly, improve efficiency, reducing fuel burn and time en-route.