not NCL i know but an interesting read (or read and weep and hang your heads in shame KLM etc):
From Ryanair website -

UPDATED: 11:00hrs (Tues 24 May) NEXT UPDATE: 13:00hrs (24 May)

Ryanair has been advised by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) that we may not operate flights to/from Glasgow Prestwick, Edinburgh or Aberdeen until 13:00hrs Tuesday 24th May 2011.

Ryanair strongly objects to this decision and believe that there is no basis for these flight cancellations and is meeting with the IAA this morning to have this restriction on Ryanair flights removed as a matter of urgency.

Ryanair confirms that it operated a one hour verification flight up to 41,000 feet in Scottish airspace this morning (24th May). The aircraft took off from Glasgow Prestwick, flew to Inverness, on to Aberdeen and down to Edinburgh - all of which according to CAA charts were in the “red zone” of “high ash concentration”.

There was no visible volcanic ash cloud or any other presence of volcanic ash and the post flight inspection revealed no evidence of volcanic ash on the airframe, wings or engines. The absence of any volcanic ash in the atmosphere supports Ryanair’s stated view that there is no safety threat to aircraft in this mythical “red zone” which is another misguided invention by the UK Met Office and the CAA.

Ryanair has also received written confirmation from both its airframe and engine manufacturers that it is safe to operate in these so called “red zones” and, in any event, Ryanair’s verification flight this morning also confirms that the “red zone” over Scotland is non-existent.

Disruption at NCL
 

Quite a mixed bag of flights opperating/not opperating. Seems that BA,TOM,TCX,LS,RYR,EKand LH unaffected. Yet BE, EZY, T3, SN AF either cancelled some or all flights.
Not sure if I understand whats going on.
Ash 66, Yes KL have also cancelled some flights but they are all currently running now as I write this post.
Your post re Ryanair makes interesting reading.

Ash Cloud
 

The UK Transport Secretary has just stated on Sky News that they have tracked the flight path of the Ryanair aircraft this morning and contrary to Michael O'Leary's assertion, it did NOT fly through any designated RED Zones.

Someone is misleading the public.

Looks like the BA1332 made it halfway to Newcastle before turning back to Heathrow...quite a few other flights being cancelled now as well..

So it travelled between Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh but did not enter the red zone, so why is the airspace closed then? Obviously we are missing something here :hmm:

Looks like a complete standstill at NCL. Inbounds all diverting or cancelled and no departures.

Will be interesting to see if RYR make it in and out later today.

Both RYR's on their way!

Good for them. I saw that a RYR flight from Tallin to Dublin went straight over EDI this afternoon. Point to make??

...but now diverting to LBA.

that's even more ridiculous when it had already got over the top of Newcastle. I wonder who made that decision?
Any sign of ash falling on NCL?

another BA plane just gone over NCL. This is all very strange.

Looks like the BA flight flew over EDI and GLA and is heading to LBA.

I'm getting worried for BAW9271. It's gone LHR-ABZ(lots of circling)-Man-NCL-Gla-EDI-NCL(again)-Man(at the moment). It must be on its last drop of fuel.

Could it be doing a test flight like Ryanair did this morning to check for ash.

According to the Look North the Emirates started to taxi before been told it had to return, then the airport representative said airlines had the final decision, it just doesn't add up. Perhaps I'm being naive but if the ash cloud is at 20,000 ft why can't they just climb to 19,000ft level off and fly under it until they are in clear air then climb out? Same for arrivals descend sooner and fly under the cloud, sounds simple enough doesn't it?

Jamie
Good thinking! Heading in the direction of LHR now.

Yes its doing a test flight.

Is the problem not supposed to be UP to 20,000ft

I understand a few aircraft today have made it into NCL airspace only to divert away, was certainly the case with a KL this afternoon.

Is it really the airlines decision? I think not.

While over NCL, EDI, GLA, ABZ and heading for MAN it dropped a about 20,000ft and slightly below before going back up to between 25 - 30,000 once past MAN.

Its down at LHR. I'd love to know the results. Spotless?

No airlines have approval to operate in high density ash. Nearly all airlines have demonstrated a case for safely flying through medium density. Unfortunately they believe the high density came over NCL today.
As has been said, the ash is posing significant problems below 20000ft, above that, in alot of areas its fine, hence why planes have been seen flying above NCL.
Yes its causing problems, but at least there are no blanket bans like last year, and the decisions are being made based upon better info.