European airlines' ash cloud nightmare

It is the fifth day since the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted, sending a cloud of volcanic ash over the European continent, grounding airlines and shutting down airports due to safety concerns. Now, in the face of losing US$200 million per day, the airlines are calling the decision to close air space "a European mess" and IATA, the body that represents the world's airlines, have criticised Europe's governments for their decision to handicap the airline industry.

However it hasn't been bad news for everyone; Eurorail and ferry companies have seen a massive increase in ticket sales and, in a bid not to appear as if they are profiting too much from the chaos, French railway company SNCF has said it will offer reduced fares and 80,000 extra seats between Paris and London this week.

Countries are even scrambling their militaries to help stranded citizens with UK Prime Minister dispatching three Royal Navy ships, including the HMS Ark Royal.

But despite travellers worldwide being stranded for almost a week, it is the airline industry that has been affected the most with one member of the International Air Transport Association saying the scale of the crisis facing the airline industry "is now greater than at the time of the 9/11 attacks on the US."

Industry crisis

With the likes of British Airways, who is already in financial straits, losing between GBP£15-20 million a day, it is no surprise that the industry is worried and angry.

Mr. Bisignani said, speaking to the BBC, that "the decision that Europe has made is with no risk assessment, no consultation, no co-ordination, no leadership."

"Europeans are still using a system based on a theoretical model which does not work... instead of using a system and taking decisions on facts and on risk assessment."

That is all well and good, but surely the airline industry would be affected more if a flight was to crash due to the ash cloud?

With the cloud stretching from the Arctic Circle down to Spain and over to Russia, there has been wide concern that the expelled ash could seriously damage plane engines with its combination of sand, rock and dust. Test flights conducted by NATO found that a fighter jet experienced a build-up of glass in its engine flying through the cloud. If this was to occur on a passenger flight, then the resulting fallout could be even worse than a few days being grounded.

While some airlines are demanding compensation from the EU for the delay, the continent is already making steady progress on deciding which airports it is safe to operate from. In Austria, Estonia, Finland, Hungary and Turkey, airports have already been reopened due to their airspace being clear of ash.

However for now, major airports such as Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle, Schipol in Amsterdam, Rome and Madrid still remain closed.

Relevant articles:

EU airports hit by volcanic ash |European airlines: Struggling to stay in the air? |British Airways drops routes to cut costs

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