New Scientist reports on the
Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences:
The ash pumped out by the Icelandic volcano last year posed a serious risk to aircraft, a new analysis suggests, vindicating the decision to halt flights over Europe following the eruption.
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[Fred Prata of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research] says the results show Europe was right to close its airspace. But, he adds, with better monitoring – including the sorts of real-time measurements Stipp carried out – it would be possible to keep some airspace open, with planes steered into corridors away from the worst of the ash.