| Author (Person) | Chaffin, Joshua |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Financial Times |
| Series Details | 20.4.10 |
| Publication Date | 20/04/2010 |
| Content Type | News |
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Article reports that European officials acknowledged on the 19 April 2010 weaknesses in the computer models that guided their decision to ground thousands of flights during the previous week following a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Many of the flights would have gone ahead under US aviation standards, they said, and urged that these be considered in the future. Airline executives have attacked the flight ban and dispute whether the ash plume unleashed by the volcano in Iceland is still a threat to flight safety. But researchers counter that while the ash cloud may not be visible, it does exist, can even be smelled, and has already damaged aircraft. All the European Parliament's Political Groups welcomed the EU Member States' decision to partially reopen the skies, in a debate on the 20 April 2010 the disruption to European flights caused by the volcanic dust cloud. The EPP stressed the economic impact and raised the idea of EU budget aid for airlines, while the Socialists, Liberals and Greens agreed that the crisis showed the need to improve rail networks across Europe as an alternative means of transport. The paralysis of air traffic across Europe since the eruption of Eyjafjallajoekull in Iceland was due in part to the absence of a single policy regarding the European airspace. Some in the Austrian and French press argued that it's now time to move forward with this long postponed project. |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry, Mobility and Transport, Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
