Ash clouds threaten air traffic
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 283
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From: .
Statement on Icelandic volcanic eruption: Tuesday April 20, 2040
Response to CAA statement
NATS has received new direction from the UK’s safety regulator, the CAA, on applying restrictions to UK airspace following the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
As soon as revised accurate information is available from the MET Office on the location of the dense ash cloud, NATS will review airspace availability and provide an update to airline operators on any airspace that has been restricted for safety reasons. We will issue a further statement by 2200.
Response to CAA statement
NATS has received new direction from the UK’s safety regulator, the CAA, on applying restrictions to UK airspace following the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
As soon as revised accurate information is available from the MET Office on the location of the dense ash cloud, NATS will review airspace availability and provide an update to airline operators on any airspace that has been restricted for safety reasons. We will issue a further statement by 2200.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4
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From: EGGW
Forget your human factors and let commercial pressures lead the way.This sudden change goes against the grain for the wrong reasons !!! 
Whilst i am glad that airspace is now starting to reopen and we can all travel safely.
Political flip flopping isn't the way
Whilst i am glad that airspace is now starting to reopen and we can all travel safely.
Political flip flopping isn't the way
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Surrey
Until I see some a/c on finals into LHR I wouldn't assume anything. There's a lot going on right now and whilst the change of directive appears to have occured suddenly, I think the most important matter is safe landings into LHR if this is what has been decided. No doubt there will be many 'post match' reviews in the coming days. So for the first time in a while I'm happy to track the inbounds and hope we have no issues.
And is that an Iceland Air that's popping down to LHR? How poetic...
And is that an Iceland Air that's popping down to LHR? How poetic...
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 41
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From: UK
....... and that 1800Z map shows the London Airports as engulfed in the same alleged 'ash cloud' defined precisely with its accompanying "UNKNOWN ASH CONCENTRATIONS" footnote as we have be looking at for the past six days.
Tell me that NATS haven't been making UK Controlled Airspace closure decisions based on this ill-defined data.....
Clearly the entire aviation industry has an awful lot of homework to do to make a much better go of it next time. As a society we could also look at not being so dependent on intenational air navigation in future.....
Finally, what do we do when the volcano continues to erupt and the wind (meterological or political) changes direction in the next few days!
Tell me that NATS haven't been making UK Controlled Airspace closure decisions based on this ill-defined data.....
Clearly the entire aviation industry has an awful lot of homework to do to make a much better go of it next time. As a society we could also look at not being so dependent on intenational air navigation in future.....
Finally, what do we do when the volcano continues to erupt and the wind (meterological or political) changes direction in the next few days!
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 158
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From: Costa Packet
Just a note of caution, until every aircraft lands safely without incident due to volcanic ash, and engines have been inspected as now required by the CAA, we will not know for sure if this was the correct decision.........time will tell
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 15
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From: Yonder, UK
@KingCaptain re Walsh:
I know you're joking and yes, agreed, the prospect of WW, Superhero, is, well, diverting.
But things really will surely have reached a pretty dire state of affairs if Walsh somehow comes to be represented as the champion of reason: I've been uncomfortable with BA's strategy right from early this morning.
Media is of course simplistic and populist and seeing the world in black and white without any allowance for particulates means they could now reduce this episode to the level of good guy v bad guy.
For which reason, I'm fully expecting that the flight crew of the Isle of Man meandering BA084 inbound from Vancover but now heading towards what I'm presuming will be a TV-chronicled live LHR landing could finish up being the new tabloid pin-up people of the hour.
They won't want that and neither the industry nor the pax need it.
But all the journalists assiduously reading PPRuNE will doubtless care little about that.
I know you're joking and yes, agreed, the prospect of WW, Superhero, is, well, diverting.
But things really will surely have reached a pretty dire state of affairs if Walsh somehow comes to be represented as the champion of reason: I've been uncomfortable with BA's strategy right from early this morning.
Media is of course simplistic and populist and seeing the world in black and white without any allowance for particulates means they could now reduce this episode to the level of good guy v bad guy.
For which reason, I'm fully expecting that the flight crew of the Isle of Man meandering BA084 inbound from Vancover but now heading towards what I'm presuming will be a TV-chronicled live LHR landing could finish up being the new tabloid pin-up people of the hour.
They won't want that and neither the industry nor the pax need it.
But all the journalists assiduously reading PPRuNE will doubtless care little about that.
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: MAN
Whoa there folks...good news indeed. However,
there is still ash up there. Ash quanities may be small, but it seems to be down to airlines to risk assess and NOT to fly if it is still too dangerous.
Safe flying!
there is still ash up there. Ash quanities may be small, but it seems to be down to airlines to risk assess and NOT to fly if it is still too dangerous.
Safe flying!
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: Germany
Scientific Data / Report available
A report of the scientific flight from Oberpfaffenhofen/Germany with the research aircraft Falcon 20E D-CMET, that was performed successfully yesterday and took measurements is available.
The report can be downloaded as PDF from http://www.bmvbs.de/Anlage/original_...April-2010.pdf
The report can be downloaded as PDF from http://www.bmvbs.de/Anlage/original_...April-2010.pdf
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 356
Likes: 18
From: inv
CAA statment
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK’s independent specialist regulator with oversight of aviation safety, today issues new guidance on the use of airspace. This is issued in conjunction with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and covers the Anglo Irish Functional Airspace Block (FAB).
The new guidance allows a phased reintroduction from 2200 tonight of much of the airspace which is currently closed due to the volcanic ash plume over the UK. There will continue to be some ‘no fly zones’ where concentrations of ash are at levels unsafe for flights to take place, but very much smaller than the present restrictions. Furthermore, the Met Office advise that the ‘no fly zones’ do not currently cover the UK.
“Making sure that air travellers can fly safely is the CAA’s overriding priority.
“The CAA has drawn together many of the world’s top aviation engineers and experts to find a way to tackle this immense challenge, unknown in the UK and Europe in living memory. Current international procedures recommend avoiding volcano ash at all times. In this case owing to the magnitude of the ash cloud, its position over Europe and the static weather conditions most of the EU airspace had to close and aircraft could not be physically routed around the problem area as there was no space to do so. We had to ensure, in a situation without precedent, that decisions made were based on a thorough gathering of data and analysis by experts. This evidence based approach helped to validate a new standard that is now being adopted across Europe.
“The major barrier to resuming flight has been understanding tolerance levels of aircraft to ash. Manufacturers have now agreed increased tolerance levels in low ash density areas.”
Our way forward is based on international data and evidence from previous volcanic ash incidents, new data collected from test flights and additional analysis from manufacturers over the past few days. It is a conservative model allowing a significant buffer on top of the level the experts feel may pose a risk.
In addition, the CAA’s Revised Airspace Guidance requires airlines to:
· conduct their own risk assessment and develop operational procedures to address any remaining risks;
· put in place an intensive maintenance ash damage inspection before and after each flight; and
· report any ash related incidents to a reporting scheme run by the CAA.
The CAA will also continue to monitor the situation with tests both in the air and on the ground.
so how will they inspect after every flight when many airlines go to airports were they have no one to inspect them
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK’s independent specialist regulator with oversight of aviation safety, today issues new guidance on the use of airspace. This is issued in conjunction with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and covers the Anglo Irish Functional Airspace Block (FAB).
The new guidance allows a phased reintroduction from 2200 tonight of much of the airspace which is currently closed due to the volcanic ash plume over the UK. There will continue to be some ‘no fly zones’ where concentrations of ash are at levels unsafe for flights to take place, but very much smaller than the present restrictions. Furthermore, the Met Office advise that the ‘no fly zones’ do not currently cover the UK.
“Making sure that air travellers can fly safely is the CAA’s overriding priority.
“The CAA has drawn together many of the world’s top aviation engineers and experts to find a way to tackle this immense challenge, unknown in the UK and Europe in living memory. Current international procedures recommend avoiding volcano ash at all times. In this case owing to the magnitude of the ash cloud, its position over Europe and the static weather conditions most of the EU airspace had to close and aircraft could not be physically routed around the problem area as there was no space to do so. We had to ensure, in a situation without precedent, that decisions made were based on a thorough gathering of data and analysis by experts. This evidence based approach helped to validate a new standard that is now being adopted across Europe.
“The major barrier to resuming flight has been understanding tolerance levels of aircraft to ash. Manufacturers have now agreed increased tolerance levels in low ash density areas.”
Our way forward is based on international data and evidence from previous volcanic ash incidents, new data collected from test flights and additional analysis from manufacturers over the past few days. It is a conservative model allowing a significant buffer on top of the level the experts feel may pose a risk.
In addition, the CAA’s Revised Airspace Guidance requires airlines to:
· conduct their own risk assessment and develop operational procedures to address any remaining risks;
· put in place an intensive maintenance ash damage inspection before and after each flight; and
· report any ash related incidents to a reporting scheme run by the CAA.
The CAA will also continue to monitor the situation with tests both in the air and on the ground.
so how will they inspect after every flight when many airlines go to airports were they have no one to inspect them
None but a blockhead
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 534
Likes: 0
From: London, UK
He's just taken a right turn and been put in a hold, is there some high level decision making still going on? Both of these planes went screaming direct to EGLL and EGKK only to get put back into holding.
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 88
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From: UK
maybe the powers that be are now using a different analysis provider-
https://www.cfmu.eurocontrol.int/PUB...tion_chart.pdf
https://www.cfmu.eurocontrol.int/PUB...tion_chart.pdf
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 317
Likes: 0
From: UK
This worries me
The notions that airlines are now responsible for deciding if it safe to fly concerns me. Why is an ash concentration that was considered dangerous yesterday now considered safe tomorrow? NATS and the met-office don't have to answer to shareholders which is why I trust them rather than a bunch of airline execs paid bonuses.
Frankly I'm disgusted by Willy Walsh and BA and the fact that they have leant on the regulator in this way (and I'm usually very pro BA) I have to admire O'Leary (and I'm normally far from a fan of his!!) but actually ironically Ryanair seems far more bothered by the risks of this than BA do - and I never thought I'd say that...
Safety is safety whatever it costs. I personally am not ken to fly tomorrow because I have yet to hear scientific evidence to confirm it is safe.
Desk-pilot
Frankly I'm disgusted by Willy Walsh and BA and the fact that they have leant on the regulator in this way (and I'm usually very pro BA) I have to admire O'Leary (and I'm normally far from a fan of his!!) but actually ironically Ryanair seems far more bothered by the risks of this than BA do - and I never thought I'd say that...
Safety is safety whatever it costs. I personally am not ken to fly tomorrow because I have yet to hear scientific evidence to confirm it is safe.
Desk-pilot
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: here, there & everywhere
He's just taken a right turn and been put in a hold, is there some high level decision making still going on? Both of these planes went screaming direct to EGLL and EGKK only to get put back into holding...
Even though the decision has been made to reopen EGLL, Nats presumably want to be seen to be retaining the upper hand. Silly really. They should be more concerned with just getting them back on tierra firme - must be some tired crew and pax up there, needlessly holding in my opinion.
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 118
Likes: 99
From: Reading
BA must have planned this...
How long have those flights been circling for? And now they're still meandering and giving their pax an aerial tour of various bits of Britain, circling here there and everywhere to meet that 10pm openning.
So I'm assuming they all loaded FAR more contingency/diversion fuel than usual, which suggests to me, given the meeting Willie has had this evening, that he rather planned this whole operation, knowing the bad PR the government would get if all these flights were diverted and more pax stranded, when the rest of Europe is open.
Very clever tactics for now, but I will reserve judgement on whether this is the right decision, it does seem aviation safety decisions are being made for political reasons, which puts us on a very very slippery slope we really don't want to be near. However, I do tend to trust Willie Walsh is an intelligent enough man to know a fleet of ash-damaged aircraft would cost far more than waiting till the winds change on fri/sat so I assume he has good reason to believe the air is OK.
So I'm assuming they all loaded FAR more contingency/diversion fuel than usual, which suggests to me, given the meeting Willie has had this evening, that he rather planned this whole operation, knowing the bad PR the government would get if all these flights were diverted and more pax stranded, when the rest of Europe is open.
Very clever tactics for now, but I will reserve judgement on whether this is the right decision, it does seem aviation safety decisions are being made for political reasons, which puts us on a very very slippery slope we really don't want to be near. However, I do tend to trust Willie Walsh is an intelligent enough man to know a fleet of ash-damaged aircraft would cost far more than waiting till the winds change on fri/sat so I assume he has good reason to believe the air is OK.