I take it that you are a travel agent Laura. You have my deepest sympathy as none of it is your fault but I'm sure you still get abuse from ignorant people.

From the webcams based overlooking the volcano it is spewing lava currently. lets hope this means the ash eruptions are slowing down. Also that Katla doesn't go.

Following the eruption earlier this evening a new dust cloud is now heading in a South East direction towards the UK...This may knock back plans to reopen Northern UK Airspace...An announcement due at 03:00 BST

Van

Nothing has really changed...

NATS will make a statement at 09:00 with Scottish airports planning on operating from 07:00 with others following later in the day but not as far South as Gatwick / Heathrow....

Some flights have left Amsterdam earlier with no reported problems...

The risks posed by the new cloud heading towards the UK has yet to be determined.

All times GMT+1

Van

3 small aircraft flights are due to leave Glasgow am. Then according to BBC news, Glasgow will again close at mid-day.

Old smokey has woken up again by the sounds of it ?

This could go on for a long time.

It's looking grim. Things seem to be worsening at the moment. Heard on GMTV this morning that another Icelandic volcano is under threat of eruption soon.

The government seem to be concentrating all their efforts at the moment on getting UK passengers stranded in Europe, home. When questioned about the holidaymakers stuck further afield, David Milliband suggested the possibility of them being flown to Spain where they would then make their way to Calais. However, he said this depended on the willingness of their airline to fly them to Spain as they obviously would want to return to UK airports

I'm not holiding out much hope of seeing 2 of my colleagues back in work any time soon. One was due home from Dubai on Saturday and the other (and her family) were due to fly home from Florida last Thursday, the day all this kicked off.

Scotland including Glasgow Edinburgh Aberdeen Prestwick and Scottish islands as well as Newcastle are currently open - Glasgow may close at 12:00 dependent on return of dust clouds

Dublin opens today @13:00
Manchester opens today @ 13:00

Airspace in Northern areas open temporarily from 13:00
BA canceled all short-haul
EasyJet canceled all flights till 17:00
Ryanair all flights canceled till Wednesday @ 13:00

Thomson cancellations till Thursday but will try and repatriate passengers.

Contact airline before going to airport

Van

Subject to change

Whats that Boeing 733 doing over Wales at the moment, I thought that airspace was closed.

Ed

Edwin,

Refer to my post to Jay Trip.

Darren

Oh, I thought a Viking Airlines Boeing B733 twin jet would have been classed as commercial aviation. Or is it another test flight?

Ed

The Viking Airlines flight is a positioning flight to Las Palmas. The aircraft is empty, hence on the radar the flight number is VIK477P P= positioning. I guess it must be going to commence rescue flights from the Canaries.

Vic

Latest update from NATS: Scottish airspace will temporally re-open from 1300 until 1900 Tuesday, including south to Newcastle. Manchester and Birmingham airports will temporally re-open from 1900. Northern Ireland airspace will close between 1300 and 1900. A further statement will be released at 1500.

Darren

I am really confused. There've been at least 4 large aircraft over the uk going from the USA to Germany, there are loads and loads of flights over France, Germany, Poland, all showing as under the cloud like us.

I cannot believe they are risking lives so what on earth is going on?

thanks for that Vic, lets hope it reports its safe up there. I may be in a minority and admit to being biased as I am trying to fly to Malaga on Thursday but I do think this situation is not as bad as made out to be. Yes planes have been severely damaged flying into ash plumes but at what concentration? what levels of ash do we have above us, where can we see this information?

NATS have now said above 20,000 ft is ok so we will see lots of flights going over us but not a lot taking off and landing.

Is this dust cloud worse than a sand storm which can reach very high altitudes and cover huge distances but you dont hear of whole airspaces being shut down for that.

I admit to being a bit old and cynical but having worked in the oil industry and flow all over the world sometimes in extreme conditions including DC3s landing in the desert (I know they are not jets) I do think this shut down has gone too far.

Ok ready to get shot down by all you out there who disagree but we all have our opinions and these are mine, thats what this forum is for.

Ed

Edwin,

Part of the problem is, no-one can answer your questions at the moment, hence the test flights, changing opinion etc. No one can gaurantee flight safety based on current information so the precautionary principle is being applied. Only time and further reaserch will say whether it's too far, but no one is going to give the green light to flights when there are too many uncertainties. Current thinking is it's too dangerous to fly and until it's proven otherwise, restrictions will remain in force.

Darren

But current thinking in France, Germany, Czec etc is clearly very different - why? I'm genuinely confused why we seem to be the only country grounding everything?

Hi I have just been looking at http://www.flightradar24.com At the moment there appear to be about 12 aircraft over the UK. Many more on northern europe

Surely its better not to get stranded somewhere and therefore have your holiday amended/cancelled???.
You would be moaning even more if you were stranded somewhere and not getting any info and being charged monies which you dont have.
I am in the same boat and due to travel out in 3 weeks, however, I would rather be at home and not be left to fend for myself in a foreign country.