My friend's daughter is stuck in Gran Canaria an apparently is flying into Madrid today, so looks like they are starting to use the spanish hub.

It was on the radio two news earlier that Spanish airspace is open and they will be starting to fly passengers back there.

This is a most difficult time for all of us. I am a cabin crew member and many of my colleagues have been stranded away in Lanzarote and Tenerife since last Thursday and Friday. What should have been a simple day at work has turned into a 5 - 6 day ordeal......! Imagine still being in the same clothes 5 days on with nothing packed for a trip of this length? Understandably they are fed up and worried about children and child care at home.

Not only have they got this to deal with, we have the constant speculation by the media that airlines may go bankrupt. This extra worry is not needed at times like this.

This natural disaster has affected us all in one way or the other.

When will end?

On the news they're saying that northern Italy, Austria, Denmark and Spain have all reopened airspace. Hopefully things should start to get better.
I work in a travel agents so it looks like it's going to be another long day. Most people have been really calm and understanding but there have been a few who haven't. Saying things along the lines of they're going to take legal action and they think this is a conspiracy....

Just seen Italy has now closed again!.....

Most people have been really calm and understanding but there have been a few who haven't. Saying things along the lines of they're going to take legal action and they think this is a conspiracy....

Are you serious? A conspiracy? In what way!? Some people are just inbelievable.

Restrictions until 0100BST Tuesday 20th now!

Hopefully with the COBRA meeting this am a decision can be made on the Spanish issue and the wheels set in motion to draft in the Navy...

Once we get everyone home safe and sound things will seem better!

Whether the airlines should receive state aid if needed over the coming months is something the government and the public should think about...

We may get a few windows over the coming days although the ash is forecast to move to the Eastern United States and Canada....God forbid that passengers get stranded in the US unable to get a flight to Spain for repatriation by the Navy!!

Van

I dont think the Navy are best equipped as people carriers nowadays remember the Falklands they had to use Cruise liners as troop ships, trains and coaches to French ports then either the Tunnel or Ferries to cross the Channel would be faster and easier to set up.

Ed

Really confused by this now. Wearing my sceptical head as I understand the situation (haven't looked at news since 8 am so things may have changed) test flights have been made over a great proportion of Europe, including the UK and all have landed safely with no obvious problems and visually nothing showing (closer technical inspection may be different) so why aren't we flying? With my own head on all I can say is that desperate as I would be to get home I wouldn't want to be on the first flight out of wherever! I would want 100% assurance everything was okay - something which at this moment in time I suspect is impossible for anyone to give.

We all think 'Elf And Safety' is taken too far, but I think this might be the one occasion I agree with it!

We don't go on holiday until the middle of June; would like to think the volcano has returned to its dormant state, but we are dealing with nature here and no-one really knows what is going to happen. Have been looking at how we would get to Torremolinos if the worst was to happen and its Eurostar to Paris, hoteltrain to Madrid and then local trains to Malaga and Torremolinos. Who knows, it might be fun!

Babs135 wrote:

so why aren't we flying?

Because it's deamed too dangerous to fly at this time. The test flights are fine, but they aren't representative of a commercial flight. They haven't been flying at normal cruise altitudes for example, where the ash cloud is reported denser. These aircraft don't have equipment onboard to show if they have, or haven't encountered any ash. There are numerous examples of the damaged caused to aircraft when aircraft have unknowingly entered such environments, some of which have been fatal or very near fatal. The photos aren't very pretty. Commercial aircraft need to fly upwards of 30,000ft in order to minimise fuel burn. They simply can't fly at low altitudes across europe or over the atlantic. Noise restrictions wouldn't allow it overland either. If an aircraft set off across the atlantic and had to fly low until clear of the ash cloud, would it have enough fuel along with the mandatory reserves, considering the ash cloud has extended over towards Canada now? Flying at lower altitude also increases risk and reduces time for dealing with issues. There are many parts to the equasion and it's not as simple as just saying these flights have not seen any problems. The Met Office, NATS and the CAA have all agreed at this time that it is not safe for aircraft to fly. That's good enough for me. If these test flights show it maybe possible to allow aircraft to fly under certain conditions, there may be a posibility or restoring some flight but it won't be a case of opening the airspace.

Darren

I may be wrong, Citizen Brown has just confirmed the Navy will be used to bring people back to UK. Anyone remember the Navy Lark?

At least they're doing their best and exploring alternative options. This isn't going to be over anytime soon. Flights in to Spain, ground transport in to europe and the French/Spanish coast and Navy vessels across the channel to the UK sounds a pretty good plan to me

Darren

Thanks for the prompt reply Dazbo. The problem now it seems to me is that people hear that planes have made safe test flights and are puzzled as to why things aren't getting back to some semblance of normality. It isn't helped when other authorities start agitating for the ban to be lifted. Perhaps we need someone (like yourself!) to tell the public how it is.

As I said earlier, I would be most reluctant to get onto a plane at the present moment. It would be an interesting exercise to find out from those stranded tourists whether they would prefer to wait it out a little longer or take the chance on a flight home, based on a few test flights.

It seems the airlines want to fly, the pilots want to fly but NATS and the MET know better from their computer mock-ups
Whatever happens it will damage the tourist industry, people will not want to book future holidays because of the unpredictability. Publicity about insurance companies rarely paying out. Probably higher fares in the future too!

Babs135,

I don't know anymore than anyone else, but it's a tough decision to take in order to lift any safety restriction. It's a very fine balance and I certainly wouldn't like to be in their shoes. The airlines are in the process of seeing what the conditions are like, in conjunction with airframe and engine manufacturers and the bodies I mentioned previously. This is a situation europe hasn't faced so one step at a time. If a safe flying situation can be found, I'm sure it will be but for the time being, too little is known and the risks deamed too great.

The latest NATS update here.

Darren

NATS have dug themselves into a hole. If it wasn't safe to fly last Thursday and conditions haven't changed they can't go back as they will be blamed for overreacting. May carry on for months. Bet there is some heated debate amongst all the various organisations.

Giovanni Bisignani, director-general of the International Air Transport Association, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'This is a European embarrassment and it's a European mess. It took five days to organise a conference call with the ministers of transport.
'Europeans are still using a system that's based on a theoretical model, instead of taking a decision based on facts and risk assessment.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1267116/Iceland-volcano-eruption-Navy-armada-ready-pick-stranded-Britons.html#ixzz0lXUX1Aj6

Who has the Final say if and when UK airspace will be safe to open?? as it seems to me Europe will go ahead very soon inch by inch???