Ash cloud shuts UK airports

Ash cloud shuts UK airports

Several British and Irish airports closed Sunday as the ash cloud returned, drifting south and east following fresh eruptions from the Icelandic volcano.

Manchester Airport in northwest England and Dublin Airport, among the 20 busiest airports in Europe, were among those affected by the cloud, with the ash levels deemed too dangerous to fly through.

Manchester -- Britain's busiest airport outside London, where airports were so far unaffected -- was among a host of northern British airports to shut from 1200 GMT to 1800 GMT, including all those in Northern Ireland.

Dublin, Ireland's main airport, was to close from 1800 GMT until at least 0800 GMT Monday.

Europe's skies were closed for up to a week last month following the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano, in the biggest shutdown of the continent's airspace since World War II.

The volcanic ash, which can cause serious damage to jet engines, has continued to cause disruption on a smaller scale in certain parts of Europe.

A vulcanologist from the University of Iceland said Eyjafjoell activity had worsened in recent days.

"There is slightly increased activity for the past two days, there has been some ash fall around the glacier," said Bjoern Oddsson, who was travelling to the volcano to assess the new situation.

"The column (of smoke) has increased and rises up to eight kilometres," he told AFP, as opposed to six kilometres in previous days.

As for the effect on European flights triggered by the rise in activity, that "all depends on the winds", said the geologist from the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland.

Travelling southwards towards the Atlantic Ocean, it should turn towards inner Iceland on Tuesday, according to weather forecasts.

In Britain, the other airports shut from 1200 GMT to 1800 GMT as the no-fly zone extended southwards and eastwards were regional air hubs like East Midlands, Liverpool, Leeds-Bradford, Doncaster and Humberside.

Some Scottish airports, including their fourth busiest, Prestwick, shut down, while all Northern Ireland airports closed for the period. Isle of Man airport also shut.

National Air Traffic Services, which manages British airspace, said the no-fly zone had moved east and south for the 1200 GMT to 1800 GMT period, and it would issue further updates as necessary.

Britain's Department of Transport had warned Saturday that British airspace was likely to face partial closures from Sunday until Tuesday due to the volcanic ash cloud.

-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-