Airports shut due to new ash cloud

17/05/2010

By James Wilson.

Restrictions have been placed on UK airspace following another eruption of volcanic ash at the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland.

According to National Air Traffic Services (Nats), ash clouds have spread between the south of England and Northern Ireland, as well as much of Scotland, making it unsafe for many airports to operate normally.

The organisation reports that airports in these regions will be shut from 07:00 to 13:00 BST today (May 17th), including Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea.

Meanwhile, Heathrow and Gatwick airports are not included in the no-fly zone but could be restricted due to their proximity, most notably inbound flights at Gatwick, Nats revealed.

"We are working closely with the Met Office and the Civil Aviation Authority, which agrees no-fly zones based on Met Office data, and will issue any further notice on this website as necessary," a statement posted on the Nats website reveals.

In related news, the Civil Aviation Authority last week relaxed its safety rules on flying close to dense ash clouds, removing the previous 60-mile no-fly buffer zone around the clouds to allow more flights to continue as usual.

This article was brought to you by Park and Go providers of Edinburgh Airport Parking