The impact of Eyjafjallajokull

That's the name of the volcano that has been creating so much trouble for Europe, just in case you had not heard of its name.

The Icelandic volcano's eruption has had extraordinary and unprecedented consequences as a result of a cloud of volcanic ash that it spawned over a large part of the European airspace.

The consequences?

European aviation suddenly collapsed in total chaos with most EU airports closed or otherwise affected. Thousands of flights were cancelled and hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded in different parts of the world waiting to travel to or from Europe. The cost for the industry was estimated at some €200 million every day.

Closer home, in Iceland, the eruption also caused flash floods because of melting ice and hundreds of people in the vicinity had to be evacuated.

If, like me, you were caught in all this mess and were desperately looking for alternatives to get back home, it would not be amiss to recall your rights, limited as they may be in such extraordinary situations.

Yet, even in exceptional circumstances, as a passenger, you still have some rights. Here they are:

Firstly, you have the right to be informed. Your airline should inform you about your rights and on the situation as it develops.

Secondly, you have the right to be treated with care. This means that if you are stuck at the airport waiting for your flight, you are entitled to refreshments, meals and accommodation as may be necessary. Accommodation is particularly relevant if you were caught in a country other than your own and have nowhere else to stay.

You are also entitled to a free means of communication with your family or relatives in order to advise them of your situation.

Thirdly, if in the midst of all this chaos your baggage has been lost or delayed or damaged, you can be reimbursed up to €1,223, depending on your actual damages.

Fourthly, if your flight has been cancelled - as many flights have been - you are entitled to a reimbursement of your fare. Alternatively you may choose to be re-routed to your final destination.

Reimbursement must be of the full cost of your ticket or for the part of the journey that you were not able to make or that no longer serves any purpose to you as a result of the cancellation.

Nevertheless, you are not entitled to a compensation over and above your reimbursement as would normally apply in cases of flight cancellation. This is because EU law specifically exempts airlines from paying compensation in cases of "exceptional circumstances".

Indeed, EU law states that "an operating air carrier shall not be obliged to pay compensation if it can prove that the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken". Now there is hardly any doubt that the Eyjafjallajokull eruption has caused an exceptional situation.

As to the time limit to make your claims, register your claim immediately and directly with the airline. Never leave it late.

If you are not satisfied with the airline's response to your claim, you can take your case to the national authorities of the country concerned. Their contact details are available on http://apr.europa.eu .

This list of rights may not be much and certainly not enough to compensate you for the inconvenience if you were caught in all this and had, for instance, to travel all the way to Malta by bus. Many had to do just that.

But with all the inconvenience and frustration that the closure of European airspace has caused, our first consideration should remain one and clear: Safety. On this score, the decisions of the air traffic control authorities can hardly be faulted. More so in exceptional circumstances where the situation is unprecedented and knowledge about its likely impact remains insufficient.

Let me end on a positive note.

Despite the havoc that it has created, Eyjafjallajokull is a true marvel of nature.

It is covered by a glacier - one of the smaller ones of Iceland - and stands at 1,666 metres at its highest point. The volcano last erupted in 1823 - but of course, it could hardly have caused problems for the aviation industry at that time.

On the other hand, a major concern is that its eruption could trigger a nearby volcano, known as Katla, to do likewise. If that happens, Europe's woes will not be ending any time soon.

Have a close at Eyjafjallajokull on this Discovery News site if you will: http://news.discovery.com/earth/iceland-volcano-aurora.html .

As a friend of mine pointed out to me this week, when mother nature talks, the whole world - with its technological prowess and all - is truly left standing in awe.

Ask your MEP on www.simonbusuttil.eu.

Dr Busuttil is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.