Hopes of airspace reopening dashed by new volcanic activity
Plans to reopen Irish airspace were held up today after eruptions from the Icelandic volcano intensified.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), who had hoped to allow some flights to resume early this morning, said the blanket no-fly would now continue until at least 1pm after charts showed the country at the centre of a contamination zone.
Stranded passengers were advised to contact their airline websites before travelling to airports, with the IAA warning the current restrictions could be extended.
The authority’s director of operations, Donie Mooney, said the decision was regrettable but unavoidable.
“When we looked at what was developing and where this ash cloud now was, it was centred right over Ireland,” he told RTÉ radio.
“It left us with no option but to put in this put in this restriction again and effectively landlock Irish airports.”
Aer Lingus said all flights scheduled for today had been cancelled, while Ryanair has already cancelled Irish and UK flights until at least lunchtime tomorrow.
Aer Lingus said it sincerely regretted the disruption to passengers.
“The outlook for any of our scheduled services later in the day now looks poor,” a company spokeswoman said.
“Aer Lingus operations continue to monitor the progress of the situation and customers will be updated via aerlingus.com later.”
The airline said the ongoing restrictions had cost it between €15m and €20m.
Aer Lingus said it was losing up to €5m daily in lost revenue and the expense of passenger disruption.
Meanwhile, hopeful passengers arrived at Dublin Airport to learn their travel plans had been thrown back into chaos.
“There’s a few disappointed people around but people are very understanding,” Dublin Airport Authority spokeswoman Siobhan Moore said.
“Passengers need to contact their airline before coming to the airport.
“It’s critical they do that from the location they’re in.”
Ferries are continuing to take the strain following the blanket ban on flights.
The six operators with services to Britain and France are reporting record bookings, as people desperately try to get home to Ireland from abroad.
