N. Europe air chaos expected to continue - 13 flights to Malta affected so far
UK to keep airspace closed on Friday morning, Air France cancels Paris flights
A picture taken from a helicopter and released by the Icelandic Coast Guard shows part of a dark cloud of smoke coming from a crater of an Icelandic volcano in eruption.
Updated:
The chaos in air services over Northern Europe witnessed today is expected to continue at least throughout the morning tomorrow (Friday) after forecasters predicted that a cloud of fine volcanic ash from an Icelandic volcano would linger over Northern Europe and drift south.
UK air traffic control said British airspace would remain closed at least till noon on Friday. Belgium, Finland, Holland Norway and Denmark also said their air space would be closed and Germany said its Northern airports, including Berlin, would close.
Up to half of transatlantic flights are expected to be affected.
13 flights to and from Malta were affected.
Air Malta said this evening that it will provide extra flights to London, Manchester and Birmingham tomorrow if conditions allow. The airline was forced to cancel its afternoon flights to and from Manchester, Birmingham, Heathrow, Gatwick, Brussels and Moscow but the morning flights to Healthrow and Gatwick were operated normally.
EasyJet and Ryanair also cancelled their flights from various UK airports to Malta as well as from Stockholm and Dublin, with hundreds of passengers being standed.
Air Malta said clients due to travel from Malta International Airport should contact flight enquiries tel: 5004 3333 for further information and to confirm flight arrival or departure times.
For re-booking or re-routing, clients should contact Air Malta’s International Call Centre tel: 356 2166 2211.
Subject to the lifting of airport restrictions, Air Malta will tomorrow operate an extra flights to Gatiwick (dep Malta 7 a.m. dep Gatwick 11.05 a.m.) and Manchester (dep Malta 3 p.m., dep Manchester 7.25 p.m.)
Air Malta is also planning to operate two other extra flights to London Heathrow and Birmingham.
However, weather experts said the fallout from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in southeast Iceland could take several days to clear.
With thousands stranded in airports around the world, Eurocontrol, the European air traffic control group, said planes would stay grounded for at least 48 hours.
It estimated between 4,000 and 5,000 flights were affected today (Thursday) as grey ash from the second major eruption in Iceland in less than a month blew across the Atlantic, closing major airports more than 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometres) away.
Belgium, Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden all shut down their airspace because the ash was a threat to jet engines and visibility. There was also major disruption in Finland, France, Germany and Spain.
Norwegian Transport Minister Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa said the "airspace will be closed tomorrow (Friday) too, and the outlook for the next two-three days is not good".
Hundreds of flights out of London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports were cancelled, including transatlantic services. Scandinavian airline SAS said it had cancelled 635 flights alone.
Flights heading for Europe were stacked up all around the world. Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was stranded in New York, the NTB news agency reported.
British Airways said it would run no flights in or out of Britain until at least Friday morning. Amsterdam's Schiphol airport prepared beds and meals for stranded travellers.
"The cloud of volcanic ash is now spread across the UK and continuing to travel south," said the National Air Traffic Services, which manages British airspace.
"In line with international civil aviation policy, no flights other than agreed emergencies are currently permitted in UK controlled airspace," it said, grounding all non-emergency flights until 0600 GMT Friday.
The ash drifted at an altitude of about 5.0-6.0 miles (8.0-10 kilometers) and could not been seen from the ground. But experts said it posed a major threat to air traffic.
In the past 20 years, there have been 80 recorded encounters between aircraft and volcanic clouds, causing the near-loss of two Boeing 747s with almost 500 people on board and damage to 20 other planes, experts said.
The prevailing winds meant that Icelandic airports remained open.
"Flights to and from Iceland are still OK. The wind is blowing the ash to the east," Hjordis Gudmundsdottir of the Icelandic Airport Authority told AFP.
The volcano on the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in southern Iceland erupted just after midnight on Wednesday.
Smoke from the top crater stacked more than 20,000 feet (6,000 metres) into the sky, meteorologists said. A 500-metre fissure appeared at the top of the crater on Wednesday, Iceland's RUV broadcaster said.
The heat melted the surrounding glacier, causing major flooding which forced the evacuation of between 700 and 800 people to Red Cross centres.
Last month, the first volcano eruption at the Eyjafjallajokull glacier since 1823 -- and Iceland's first since 2004 -- briefly forced 600 people from their homes in the same area.
That eruption at the Fimmvorduhals volcano, which gushed lava for weeks, ended Tuesday, experts said.
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Mario Attard Trevisan
Apr 16th 2010, 19:32
Airmalta should treat its customers with dignity. I do understand its not any airline's fault but to forward a tel no to the passengers ...and never be able to get through is simply unacceptable. I have tried to get through from London for over 5 hours, to no avail. The representative at Gatwick Airport simply refuses to help or guide anyone stating that they are not there to serve as an airmalta office but just to direct queries to airmalta offices...again giving a tel number impossible to get through. I just hope that airmalta is aware that If a flight is delayed, there are strict European rules in place, which mean that the airline is obliged to provide assistance at the airport. This includes supplying meals and refreshments, along with accommodation if an overnight stay is required. I am definately not going to accept such arrogant service, especially after paying exorbent fares.
D.Xuereb
Apr 16th 2010, 18:50
Ok it did take 20mins to have my call answered but Airmalta's Customer Serveice Rep gave me an hour to choose between two alternatives to get me back of which I had to settle for the monday flight back from uk. Tried Ryanair;s last seat and got cancelled aswell... For all you moaners, do you think AirMalta had any control on this? Come on get a life or opt for a refund and walk it back home..
Wayne Hewitt
Apr 16th 2010, 12:32
Guys, I don't want to defend Airmalta but I believe you should be a bit understanding with them. These are extraordinary situations that any airline has no control on. I can imagine the chaos this creates to all airline employees who have to manage such a situation under duress and face reasonably angry customers who happen to fly during this time.
Angelo Baldacchino
Apr 16th 2010, 08:44
@ godfrey... the boy being you in this case for posting such an inconsiderate comment... sitting comfortably in your couch at home, can you imagine how worried straned people are? and on top of that they get ripped to call the airline an all the airline does is take them for a ride and definitely not solve their problem. have you ever been stranded? thats why i say... use cheap airlines, do not buy an insurance.... if accidents happen, wel ifl you're not getting anything anyway, might as well pay much less for your trip.. sorry guys... been there done that more than once, therefore one grows wise.
Mario Pisani
Apr 16th 2010, 07:24
qieghed niprova naqbad ma l-airMalta ghal aktar informazzjoni dwar flight gha Amsterdam.
Answering machine tinfurmak li qieghdin busy answering another call. It-telefonata tmur minghajr hoss ta xejn u ma tafx jekk inqtajtx jew le. Servizz fdawn l-okkazzjonijiet ZERO.
Adrian Camilleri
Apr 16th 2010, 01:22
My wife and I were supposed to fly to Heathrow this afternoon on a BA flight from Buenos Aires. The flight was grounded for good at Sao Paolo in Brazil and we have been accommodated at a nearby hotel compliments of BA hoping for better news from iceland. We must say that BA have tackled the situation very well and efficiently....hoping to get home asap!!!!
maria aquilina
Apr 16th 2010, 00:20
I am afraid that we maltese citizens are the worst treated in the wole world,Look at the treatment we receive from both government and private entities.shame on us.
Aldo Micallef
Apr 15th 2010, 22:44
I beg to differ: my colleagues and I were well served by the Call Centre at Air Malta. They did their best to help us and we were quite satisfied by the service provided. True: we were kept waiting some 25 mins before someone came to answer our query but hey, this was an emergency! And it's silly to call the Call Centre from a mobile phone. One should have used a fixed line!
charles pace
Apr 15th 2010, 22:34
What exactly do you expect Air Malta to do or to tell you if you get through?????? That they have just developed a plane that is not effected by volcanic ash.
It is the airspace that is closed FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY. When the airspace is once again opened you will be flown home Simple
Grow up
Roderick Micallef
Apr 15th 2010, 22:21
This is one single eruption which caused major havoc, let alone if multiple events hit the globe around the same time frame. A kind reminder of how dependent we have become on man made technological advances in transport, travelling, communications which are all very nice but we have to remember where we really come from, who we really are.
When emergencies occur most of these man made wonders cost very little or nothing at all, so it's good that we start going back to basics every now and again. In Malta this happened on a nation wide level when a few weeks ago the whole island had no power for some time, which nowadays means no access to most things we use daily and constantly.
No internet, no tv, no mobiles (or almost), no refrigeration, no water heating this is not including other major events that can occur but never do in Malta like Tornadoes or major earthquakes.
It's good if we try to at least imagine ourselves without these commodities and who knows maybe even prepare an emergency survival pack / bag and some kind of emergency plan, just in case, you never know it can save your life!
G.Abela
Apr 15th 2010, 21:37
@claire micallef
So, Judging by your comment simply because you were calling from brussels airmalta should have stopped serving its clients and answered your call. Very egoistic.
@J.Dimech
Are you complaining about MIA or someone else???? Cause i beleive that the price you quoted is for the MIA service.
Eric Frendo
Apr 15th 2010, 21:25
@claire micallef
20minutes?? only?? and you call that a shabby service??
even if you had your personal private jet you could have been stranded
Albert Farrugia
Apr 15th 2010, 21:04
I would not be so unreasonable as to blame Air Malta. I mean, whose fault is this? its simply how it is. In fact I think that, from all airlines, Air Malta is usually the airline which tries its damnest to perform a flight, even in adverse weather conditions. These things happen. We take long-distance transport so much for granted today that we dont ever stop to think what such a complex, dangerous and costly thing that really is.
So what do you prefer...a flight in dangerous conditions? Or a sane safety policy? Only last Saturday Europe was shocked to see a deadly aircrash, killing the Polish President. And that happened because the pilot decided to land, inspite of warning of bad landing conditions. It´s bad enough that we hear of fireworks explosions almost every month, because of this cavalier attitude to safety. Do we want it also from our airline?
James A. Tyrrell
Apr 15th 2010, 20:39
Until such times as the airlines find out where this cloud is spreading they can't give any information can they? I mean who in their right mind would want to take the risk of flying through something like this anyway?
Godfrey Grima
Apr 15th 2010, 20:32
EasyJet and Ryanair also cancelled their flights from the UK to Malta...........
........and DID NOT PUT ON ANY EXTRA FLIGHTS
Godfrey Grima
Apr 15th 2010, 20:10
Now this is what distinguishes the men from the boys. Further comment is superfluous.,
R. Azzopardi
Apr 15th 2010, 22:44
Contact the maltese embassy in brussels they should be of more help.
Joseph Dimech
Apr 15th 2010, 18:50
I called the Malta International Airport number provided here. I was charged Euro 1.50 for the call - that lasted 20 seconds and all I got was 'we have no information sir let me give you another number, sir'
Stop ripping the Maltese off! we have had enough of you!
Marisa Abela
Apr 16th 2010, 05:34
same thing happened to me, i`ve called around an hour ago coz my flight is cancelled,she gave me an other number which is 23696513,and she told me that i can call straight away! I have been tr ing this number since and its either engaged or no reply!!! Is this customer service from airmalta??
Claire Micallef
Apr 15th 2010, 18:48
Not much to do about the cancelled flights.... however Airmalta service is terrible.... I have been on the phone for the past 20 minutes and this is the second time I am trying. I am calling from my mobile from Brussels and keep getting a recorded message that I am to be attended to shortly...... then after ten minutes the connection terminates..... WHAT SHABBY SERVICE.... apart from the mobile bill I shall be getting. Well done Airmalta!!!
David Agius
Apr 15th 2010, 21:32
Then fly with Ryanair or Easyjet and get stranded instead if that's what you prefer.
Air Malta provides extra flights for its customers, and this is the thanks it gets?
R. Azzopardi
Apr 15th 2010, 22:43
Contact the maltese embassy in brussels they should be of more help.
G Calleja
Apr 16th 2010, 09:02
You can imagine how many people are calling the same telephone number at the same time. What do you pretend, considering the chaos? I can understand the panic and frustration. At least, there is telephone number where you can call. Try to get Ryan's Air number? Believe me, thank God that you are dealing with Airmalta in this scenario....otherwise if it was RyanAir...only God knows!
JAFarrugia
Apr 16th 2010, 09:51
Check the internet my dear there's a big ash cloud moving accros Europe, the airlines arent sure which direction its taking so they have grounded then for your safety.
Get of you high horse and grab a coffee.