Flights cancelled due to volcanic ash cloud from Iceland, Eyjafjallajokull

[regi]

At least some good news for the BRU spotters - a BA 747 from Bahrain will be landing at BRU within the next 15 minutes. Diverted to BRU (instead of flying to LHR) just 10 minutes ago. I guess NATS refused permission to use UK airspace below 20,000 feet.

Also a BA 777 from DEL on his way or landed in BRU

and now all on the train or coach to London?

[Bralo20]

Just on SkyNews in the UK:

There seems to be a war between BA & NATS:

BA is demanding that LHR will be opened while NATS is saying that it will remain closed. As a result there are severl flights in a holding pattern above the UK and Ireland.

Several BA flights have diverted to BRU, AMS & CDG...

[Bralo20]

Breaking news from BBC:

UK Airspace will open gradual starting at 2200BST (2300CET)... It seems that BA has won the clash with NATS

[LAGPanoramic]

Breaking news from BBC:

UK Airspace will open gradual starting at 2200BST (2300CET)... It seems that BA has won the clash with NATS

Does this means the 2 planes diverted to BRU will continue to London immediately?

I think that lots of people would like them on pic

When was the last passenger B747 at Brussels btw?

[BelgianBoy]

Maybe, the brittons would prefer to fly home instead of pleasing the spotters.

[Bralo20]

All diverted flights currently in BRU, AMS & CDG will continue to LHR at least if BA's info is correct.

And yep, I don't think they would think a second about any spotter

[Bralo20]

It was a good day for the spotters if they catched the arrival of the BA birds...

There are currently 3 BA widebodies in BRU scheduled to depart later today:

BA124 from DOH (B747)
BA142 from DEL (B777)
BA138 from BOM (B747)

[Stij]

Stij, (flying to Berlin tonight, I hope I get back in two days...)

Right, flight cancelled 30 minutes before take--off (21:00) because apparently over Germany only VFR is allowed, rebooked for 9:40 tomorrow... wish me luck... again...

Blow up the f*ck*ng volcano!!! ... Probably would make things only worse...

Best joke untill now: We said "send cash",not "send ash"!!!!

Cheers mates from Belgium,

Stij-should-have-been-drinking-Erdinger-instead-of-Leffe

[FLYAIR10]

Brussels airlines summary of flying activity today 20/04:

Dear Partner,

We would like to provide you with the following information regarding our flights planned for today, Tuesday, 20 April 2010.

Africa

The following flights are confirmed:

* SN 1358 FIH-BRU: FIH 18.55 to BRU 02.50 (GMT)
* SN 354 FIH-NSI-BRU: normal schedule
* SN 1465 EBB-BRU: EBB 19.50 - BRU 03.55 (GMT)
* SN 1204 BJL-FNA-BRU: BJL 20.00 - FNA 21.50 - BRU 05.35 (GMT)
* BAF 466 (Belgian Army repatriation flight) DKR-BRU: DKR 20.30 - BRU 03.00 (GMT)

Europe

1) Flights that have already departed today:

* OPO: SN 3811
* BCN: SN 3703
* MRS: SN 3599
* NCE: SN 3621
* TLS: SN 3669
* SVQ: SN 3747
* FCO: SN 3181

2) We are planning to operate according to the following schedule:

* UK: all flights cancelled

* Italy
- TRN, BLQ, VCE, MXP: cancelled
- LIN, FCO: planned to operate

* Nordic countries
- CPH: cancelled
- BMA, GOT, OSL: planned to operate

* Germany and East Europe
- BUD: cancelled
- HAM, WAW, PRG: planned to operate subject to heavy slots

* France, Spain, Portugal:
- LYS: cancelled (due to airport slot restrictions)
- all other flights planned to operate but subject to heavy slots

* ATH, TLV, GVA: planned to operate but subject to heavy slots

In regards with our operations for tomorrow, Wednesday, April 21st, we are not able to give final information for the moment due to the volatile meterological situation.

Source: Brussels airlines earlier today

Grtz

[SN539]

Breaking news from BBC:

UK Airspace will open gradual starting at 2200BST (2300CET)... It seems that BA has won the clash with NATS

First BA flights are now landing in Heatrow

[cathay belgium]

Hi,


For my reply:

Still stand with my elder postings,
pilots have the final word once airborn but until then others more specialised people/men will
and must have a point since they can see the whole pics. ( read my elder postings on these topics).

I STILL regret that pilots on this forum wanted to PUSH the government to fly,
the postings came again and again,they wanted to fly and saying it was safe too unless
thé ( until then ) ONLY OFFICIAL (said to be ) SCIENTIFIC organisation said it wasn't !!!

NOTE:
* http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/b ... _Vliegtuig
news from belgian TV ! ( VRT - NEWS HOMEPAGE )
And this was just in a grey zone !
So 100 percent safe isn't it totally ! ( okay pilots can deal with this but just as I said what if the minimal chance ... arghh read my postings again )

So these pilots said FLY and the organisation said NOPE !!

So I still stand with my opinion 'to get advise -no fly- from specialists - a certain britain one-
said no when IN DOUBT !! Am I clear !!
So my opinion YES some of them obviously missed this point !!!

NOTE : WHY DON'T THEY OPEN UP AEROSPACE FOR 24h ???
Happend before, not special enough things today ??

[Charlie Roy]

All diverted flights currently in BRU, AMS & CDG will continue to LHR at least if BA's info is correct.

5 BA 747 also "diverted" to Shannon SNN earlier tonight. 2 have already continued to LHR.

[NCB]

I think CX, that Tolip and others meant to say that we all wanted accurate measurements and educated decisions based on something else than just simulations of the London Met Office.
You may have interpreted that as a "we want to fly no matter what is up there" but that is not what they meant.

LAG, I don't understand what you mean.
If assimilated to truck transport, this situation would be equivalent to all roads and highways being closed to commercial truck transport because volcanic ash could damage the engine and impair safety.

Aviation is and has always been a compromise between safety and money.
If tomorrow the EU decides that all aircraft should be equipped with 8 engines and be built out of titanium to guarrantee safety at any cost, the day after all your airlines will have to close their shop.

If the EU and its members decides that they should close an entire continent's airspace based on vague, unproven and now proven inaccurate simulations on vulcanic ash dispersion, they have a duty to compensate the victims, including passengers, properly. Unless proper evidence and proper consulting with aircraft manufacturers of eacht type of aircraft flown in Europe established the need to close the entire airspace, they had no right to do that.
Operators obtain certificates from authorities for every aspect of their operations, which means that under normal conditions and without proper evidence, the authorities have no right to impair their operations.

Personally, if you want to know the truth, they took the decision lightly without understanding the consequences of their actions. And then they did what all aviation professionals should not do: bend on their knees when faced with commercial pressure.
Our authorities have alot of competent staff within their civil aviation departments, but the ones running them (ministers,...) are amateurs with no field experience and they can create alot of mess out of nothing.

I don't understand why the minister of transport would decide on airspace closure when that is a duty of the competent authority, the respective CAA's who have the duty to supervise safety and commercial viability of air transport.
In the U.S., the competent authority, the FAA, regulates all airspace closures.
Because of a better understanding of the operational and commerical aspects of air transportation, we saw some CAA's collaborate more closely with airlines than with their ministries, almost opposing the full closures.

[b-west]

The two diverted BA planes at BRU earlier this evening

747-400

777 & 747

[Zorba]

An MD11F of World is grounded because ash was found in (one of) the engine(s).

An aircraft of ArkeFly from Antalya to Amsterdam flew trough a contaminated part , but after inspection no ash was found inside the engines.

[grnkg]

I think CX, that Tolip and others meant to say that we all wanted accurate measurements and educated decisions based on something else than just simulations of the London Met Office.
You may have interpreted that as a "we want to fly no matter what is up there" but that is not what they meant.

LAG, I don't understand what you mean.
If assimilated to truck transport, this situation would be equivalent to all roads and highways being closed to commercial truck transport because volcanic ash could damage the engine and impair safety.

Aviation is and has always been a compromise between safety and money.
If tomorrow the EU decides that all aircraft should be equipped with 8 engines and be built out of titanium to guarrantee safety at any cost, the day after all your airlines will have to close their shop.

If the EU and its members decides that they should close an entire continent's airspace based on vague, unproven and now proven inaccurate simulations on vulcanic ash dispersion, they have a duty to compensate the victims, including passengers, properly. Unless proper evidence and proper consulting with aircraft manufacturers of eacht type of aircraft flown in Europe established the need to close the entire airspace, they had no right to do that.
Operators obtain certificates from authorities for every aspect of their operations, which means that under normal conditions and without proper evidence, the authorities have no right to impair their operations.

Personally, if you want to know the truth, they took the decision lightly without understanding the consequences of their actions. And then they did what all aviation professionals should not do: bend on their knees when faced with commercial pressure.
Our authorities have alot of competent staff within their civil aviation departments, but the ones running them (ministers,...) are amateurs with no field experience and they can create alot of mess out of nothing.

I don't understand why the minister of transport would decide on airspace closure when that is a duty of the competent authority, the respective CAA's who have the duty to supervise safety and commercial viability of air transport.
In the U.S., the competent authority, the FAA, regulates all airspace closures.
Because of a better understanding of the operational and commerical aspects of air transportation, we saw some CAA's collaborate more closely with airlines than with their ministries, almost opposing the full closures.

I second that! All of it!

Kind regards,
GR.

[Propwash]

NCB :clap: (10/10)

[Desert Rat]

I think CX, that Tolip and others meant to say that we all wanted accurate measurements and educated decisions based on something else than just simulations of the London Met Office.
.

Hello NCB,

Just for info,

The expert advise given to the Meteorological Watch Office (MWO) is the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center(VAAC), in this case London, taking care of Iceland and England, the one for continental Europe and Africa is the Toulouse VAAC.

[Propwash]

The expert advise given to the Meteorological Watch Office (MWO) is the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center(VAAC), in this case London, taking care of Iceland and England, the one for continental Europe and Africa is the Toulouse VAAC.

Our EU VAACs are one BIG joke (no expertise)

I know, they have to stick to their Stupid Operating Procedures (SOP) but NONE came up to meassure (sending up balloons or meassuring planes).

The NASA, KLM and LH had to convince them, that it wasn't so bad as the EU VAAC muppets were advertising.

[sn26567]

Today 60 passengers stranded in Beirut will be repatriated to Brussels in a BAF C130 !