[Ram]

Update:
The Eyjafjallajökull volcanic glacier eruption, ash cloud continues to spread. Scientists think it is too early to predict when the volcano will stop vomiting ash.

It will affect Europe flights possibly beyond the weekend.
Already 17,000+ flights are grounded and many thousands more expected in the coming days. Lakhs of travelers are stranded due to the air-traffic chaos in Europe.

Westerly winds are expected to spread the massive abrasive ash plume, further east and north.

By Saturday noon in India, the volcanic ash cloud floating 30,000 feet above sea-level,
may well cover parts of Russia, Poland, Finland and East Europe
in addition to the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands and Germany.

--x--x--

Eyjafjallajökull (pronounced अईया-फ्यल्ला-योएकुल्ल) is a 100 km² (small) Icelandish glacier. Its icecap covers a 1.66 km tall volcano, with a 3–4 km dia. crater.

Before now, this volcano last erupted from 1821 to 1823.
In perspective, this was just after Bajirao II lost the 3rd Anglo-Maratha War, to the British East India Co. It marked the end of the Peshwa Empire, leaving most of India in British control.

[harit]

I am one of those sitting in front of a comp,when I am supposed to be on my way to Europe, my flight has also been cancelled.
But this was the end of a number of incidents which just shows that when things are not meant to be, well, then they are not meant to be.
It started with my passport, damaged because of poor adhesion of the plastic foil covering photo and passport details. A new passport had to be obtained, papers given to agent who promptly sat on it. Then sped up the process, approached the passport office, they really pushed it along, and I could go for tatkal. Even met the passport officer who was kind enough to advance despatch date by a day. Till I got a call that there is a problem with the form. I rushed there, and found that a stamp was placed over my signature. So paper had to be rectified, and passport was delayed. I cancelled a programm and rescheduled, personally stood at the consulate at 6AM to submit visa application. All quick and nice, got passport collected to find the validity from June.
Got that rectified, next day went to police station to finish the passport clearance, this is done after new passport is issued in case of replacement for damaged passport if old police clearance is available.
Next day was to fly, and get a call about a volcano, and so I am grounded and writing this tale of woe.

BTW, the story of the British Airways flight had also appeared in the Readers Digest many years ago. At that time they had mentioned that the British Airways plane was the most damaged plane ever to land, civilian ofcourse.

These cancellations will have a very costly impact, there are a number of exhibitions like the Hannover Fair which have most visitors from Asia.

Cheers harit

[Nitin]

There's going to be an assessment of the volcano today to see how much of magma remains, and how much of water/ice is around the area.One geologist suggested that this might go on for a while more,and create even more havoc.

[Fraz33r]

Originally Posted by Nitin

There's going to be an assessment of the volcano today to see how much of magma remains, and how much of water/ice is around the area.One geologist suggested that this might go on for a while more,and create even more havoc.

Its already creating more havoc and will continue to do so for soem more days it seems;

Raw: New video of Iceland volcano

Just look at the size of mountains and the smoke and fumes;

[sajo]

And now, our boys from our favourite show have paid Eyjafjallajokull (what a mouthful!) a visit.



Source and more information : Top Gear Crew Seen on Iceland's Volcano with Toyota Hilux as Eruption Began

[Samurai]

How is this affecting the on-road travel? Surely the ash will come down and have similar effect on life on the ground.

[tsk1979]

Actually the ash is hardly visible to naked eye. It will be like some additional dust. Doctors warn of asthama issues and things like that, but nothing too major.

[DerAlte]

I am sitting in a hotel near Frankfurt airport waiting for the German Air Safety guys to figure out whether to open the skies or not. Clear blue skies, not even a wisp of a cloud in the sky.

Most of the decisions are being taken on the basis of computer simulations, as the German TV is saying. There has been no ash deposited on the countries around Iceland - UK, Scandinavia etc. The heavy stuff is landing in the sea, it is only the real small particles which are getting scattered into the winds, and hence getting carried by the (clock-wise) air currents. Eastward first towards Scandinavia, then Northern Europe (mainland) turning around over Poland, and then west over as far south as Austria, northern Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Benelux and UK. Some of it reached Scotland, etc. via another air current.

I saw a couple of aircraft landing in Frankfurt yesterday afternoon, which I later came to know were aircraft that were used to test the conditions at various heights. Air France, KLM, etc. have also run test flights. Despite not facing any problems, no one is taking chances - almost all European air-space is closed till tonight at least.

About 17000 flights are affected, the financial loss in unimaginable! Stocks of most airlines are already down, not a surprise that those of Deutsche Bahn, Eurostar, Thalys etc. went up. I expect even more chaos when the airports are opened maybe this evening. With a 3 day backlog, and flights already booked to capacity with existing reservations, it will be a terrible situation for everyone. Hopefully they press more aircraft into service on long-distance routes (they always have a few on standby) to clear the crowd.

Lufthansa has told inter-continental passengers to stay put at their hotels, but asked passengers flying within Europe to come to the airport. So it looks like they are preparing for resumption this evening. Keeping fingers crossed.

[Samurai]

How are you spending your unexpected vacation in Frankfurt? The fellow ICE master is also lurking around in Germany, you guys should meet up during the wait.

[clevermax]

Will this eruption affect global warming / global dimming? I guess all that human kind managed to do as part of reducing air pollution didn't really matter... right?

Anyway I like that fact that BA flights are grounded and they are facing loss. Had pretty tough time with some BA folks last year when I went there...so I have that grudge

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by Samurai

How are you spending your unexpected vacation in Frankfurt? ...

Right now it is oo-ma-he! Nothing to do (Sunday), nowhere to go (need a car, no rental cars available). Can't go too far anyhow due to the tentative situation.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Right now it is oo-ma-he! Nothing to do (Sunday), nowhere to go (need a car, no rental cars available). Can't go too far anyhow due to the tentative situation.

Go easy on the "oo". It will only create more "he". Get as much "ma" as possible.

There is no sign of the volcanic eruption easing. The ash, is drifting in a cloud extending up vertically from 2½..9 km and stretching across much of northern and central Europe.
They say, flights could be disrupted from weeks to up to six months.
Definitely continued chaos for the foreseeable future.
Airlines canceled thousands more flights this weekend, prolonging misery for millions of travelers.

I would take a train
Frankfurt-am-Main -> Munich -> Salzburg -> Ljubljana -> Belgrade(Beograd) -> Sofia(Sofija) -> Istanbul and fly back to India from Istanbul.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by Ram

Frankfurt-am-Main -> Munich -> Salzburg -> Ljubljana -> Belgrade(Beograd) -> Sofia(Sofija) -> Istanbul and fly back to India from Istanbul.

If you were to leave Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof on Monday, 19th April at 12:21, it will be a journey just under 44 hours to Istanbul Haydarpaşa.

But hey, in these uncertain times, you can breath a fresh breath of certainty.

[Ram]

Interesting animation showing the swirling spread of Volcanic Ash
contaminating the air above all of Europe.

[source: Danish Meteorological Institute, Ministry of Climate and Energy]

[Thad E Ginathom]

The airlines are really feeling the pain. Of course it is a very real pain --- but watch as the news is changing to criticism of the restrictions, claims that it is actually safe after all etc etc. Well, lets hope, when financial concerns put those planes back in the air, that they stay in the air!