Ash cloud to clear for bank holiday

26/05/2011

By Scott Allan

Emma Sword

Holidaymakers looking to get away this bank holiday will be happy to hear that it is unlikely the volcanic ash cloud will cause disruption to flights this weekend.

Just a few flights were affected on Wednesday by the cloud, which was caused by the eruption of the Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland.

The cloud has now passed across the UK to northern Europe, with forecasters predicting there will be just "minimal" ash over the two continents over the next few days.

The latest information from the Icelandic Meteorological Office suggests the volcano is no longer emitting ash, and only minor steam plumes from the crater up to around 300m, the Met Office spokesman said.

Transport secretary Philip Hammond met representatives from air traffic control company Nats, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Met Office, British Airways (BA) and easyJet to discuss ways air travel disruption could be avoided in the future.

He asked Nats and the CAA to draw up protocols which would allow planes to fly underneath the ash cloud to and from the UK. They could then gain altitude once they were clear of the "red zone" of high-level ash.

Mr Hammond added that test planes have been flying in the affected areas gathering additional data for the Met Office.