EU eases flight restrictions

Air traffic should start returning to normal this morning after EU member states last night agreed to ease the blanket no-fly restrictions affecting most European airports, including Malta.

European Commissioner for Transport Sim Kallas said an agreement was reached to ease traffic routes and there should be more planes flying from this morning. He made the announcement at the end of an extraordinary council meeting of EU Transport Ministers, held via videoconference since ministers were unable to travel to Brussels.

The agreement, approved unanimously, was proposed by Eurocontrol - the organisation for the safety of European air navigation. It proposed that some of the airspace, which until yesterday was indicated as a no-fly zone, could be opened as soon as it was certified the risks had been eliminated.

A system has been introduced where the EU's airspace will be divided into three zones: Zone 1 will remain closed to traffic as it includes the nucleus of ash emissions; Zone 2 includes air space in which air traffic can be allowed following coordinated decisions by the authorities of the member states involved; and Zone 3 will be free for flying as it was not affected by ash.

The three zones still have to be established by Eurocontrol experts and may change from time to time according to the evolution of the volcanic ash cloud in the atmosphere.

Mr Kallas made it clear these decisions were not the result of pressures from the airline industry and he would not compromise the safety of passengers.

"There can be no compromise on safety and all decisions must be based on scientific evidence and expert analysis."

Thousands of flights have been grounded across Europe since last Thursday, after a volcano in Iceland erupted spewing billions of ash particles into the atmosphere and making the skies hazardous for planes.

As a result, millions of passengers had to change their travel plans or cancel them altogether. Hundreds of Maltese, the majority stranded in London and Brussels, were caught in the disruption with many trying to commute by train or car to Rome to catch a flight back to Malta.

Last Saturday, a group of some 40 government officials caught in Brussels were shuttled by coach to Rome in a trip organised on the initiative of Malta's embassy in Belgium and the Permanent Representation to the EU. The journey took almost 20 hours before they could catch their 90-minute flight back to Malta.

The closure of European airports also disrupted the work of the EU with many of its scheduled meetings cancelled, including a meeting of agriculture ministers.

On the other hand, the European Parliament session in Strasbourg went ahead despite the evident lack of MEPs who did not manage to reach the French city.

In view of the "exceptional circumstances", the EP president Jerzy Buzek said no votes would be taken during this plenary session which ends tomorrow instead of Thursday.