EU EMERGENCY TALKS CALLED ON VOLCANIC ASH AIR CHAOS

19.04.2010 [13:08]
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Baku, April 19 (AZERTAC). EU transport ministers are to hold emergency talks by video conference on easing the air travel crisis caused by a volcanic ash cloud in Europe`s skies, according to BBC.

More than 6.8 million passengers have been affected so far, as the crisis enters its fifth day.

EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said: “We cannot just wait until this ash cloud dissipates.”

Airports and airlines question the need for curbs said to be costing airlines alone $200m (£130m) a day.

The enormous shroud of fine mineral dust particles now stretches from the Arctic Circle in the north to the French Mediterranean coast in the south, and from Spain into Russia.

Airspace remains closed, or partially closed, in more than 20 countries.

Sixty-three thousand flights have been cancelled in the four days since the clampdown began.

And the prospect of a return to normal air travel remains far from clear.

The Spanish Minister for Europe, Diego Lopez Garrido, had said on Sunday that up to half of the flights across Europe could operate on Monday.

He was speaking after talks with Eurocontrol, which co-ordinates air traffic control in 38 nations. It had recommended the current flight ban.

The flight bans came amid fears that the ash - a mixture of glass, sand and rock particles - can seriously damage aircraft engines.

The international airports council, ACI, said a total of 313 airports had been paralyzed by the restrictions and the global backlog was affecting more than 6.8 million travelers.

Refrigerated stores at Nairobi airport and on farms are now completely full, and a huge amount of fresh flowers and vegetables destined for the European market is in danger of perishing.

The problems have also led to the postponement of next Saturday`s Japanese MotoGP.

The EU transport ministers` video conference, hosted by Spain, is set to consider a proposal that passengers from countries like Britain, who are stranded in the US or Asia, would fly into Spain and then continue their journey by train, boat or coach.

Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands are keeping their airspace closed until 1200 GMT on Monday. Spain has re-opened its airspace after a brief closure. Officials there have suggested its airports could be used as an entry platform into Europe.

Weather experts say wind patterns mean the cloud is not likely to move far until later in the week.

Eurocontrol said there were only 5,000 flights in European airspace on Sunday, against 24,000 normally.