KLM say their test flight revealed nothing adverse from the volcanic ash, they are going to do another 9. . .hopefully things clear up by Friday (for Glasgow) and next week (for Toulouse).
Irish airspace closure thread
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sheepshagger
- Leo Cullen
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Irish airspace closure thread
Irish airspace now closed until 1pm Monday
KLM say their test flight revealed nothing adverse from the volcanic ash, they are going to do another 9. . .hopefully things clear up by Friday (for Glasgow) and next week (for Toulouse).
KLM say their test flight revealed nothing adverse from the volcanic ash, they are going to do another 9. . .hopefully things clear up by Friday (for Glasgow) and next week (for Toulouse).
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
TBH I don't care if I can't go to Glasgow so long as we can get to Toulouse. It will ruin my 09/10 supporters slam though! Damn volcano!
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
You can't give up on the slam! Charter a fishing boat if you have to!aisling7 wrote:TBH I don't care if I can't go to Glasgow so long as we can get to Toulouse. It will ruin my 09/10 supporters slam though! Damn volcano!
Oh pointy birds
Oh pointy, pointy
Anoint my head
Anointy, nointy
Oh pointy, pointy
Anoint my head
Anointy, nointy
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sheepshagger
- Leo Cullen
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Re: Irish airspace closure thread
Ryanair flights to/from UK and Ireland now cancelled until 1300 on Wednesday.
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sheepshagger
- Leo Cullen
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Re: Irish airspace closure thread
Passengers buy bikes for ferry
British businessman stranded in France said he was had to buy a women’s bicycle to board a ferry in a bid to get home.
Tom Noble (52) from Highgate in north London, said ferry operator Norfolkline had no foot passenger tickets left and would only allow him to make the journey if he was a genuine cyclist.
The managing director said ferry staff at Dunkirk even made him ride the “rustic” contraption, which he had just bought from a second-hand shop, up the ramp.
In fact, half a dozen people grounded by the volcanic ash had the same idea, and boarded the boat in a wobbling parade of two-wheelers.
One man, a British Airways gold card member, was riding a children’s bicycle.
Mr Noble, the managing director of marketing company NeuroFocus UK, and his colleague, set off at 6am yesterday morning from Zurich in Switzerland.
The “epic adventure” involved six trains and three taxis just to reach the French ferry port. He was trying to get home for his wife’s birthday.
Speaking from on board the boat he said: “We were even forced to ride the bikes onto the ferry. You have to show you haven’t just picked one up from anywhere.
“But they are barely ride-able.” After reaching Lille the taxi driver misunderstood their instructions and first took them to a toy shop.
When the pair eventually made it to second-hand bicycle store he found a limited choice.
He bought a women’s bike in the classic French style for €49 (£43) while his colleague picked out a bright pink contraption with a giant basket in front.
Having arrived on British soil, Mr Noble said: “The ferry staff wouldn’t let us off as foot passengers. They didn’t just want to see us with the bikes, they wanted to see us ride them on and off.
“With two suitcases it was a tricky manoeuvre.
“If you read the rules it was the only way.” But Mr Noble said they were forced to dump the bicycles in order to get on a bus to go to the train station.
He joked: “It’s tragic. Having invested so heavily in these beautifully engineered bicycles, we had to leave them by the side of the road.”
But he added: “It’s been quite a laugh in a way.” Mr Noble’s daughter, Esme, a 19-year-old student at Nottingham University, booked the tickets yesterday morning when it became clear there would be no flights.
Waiting at home, his wife, Polly, who turns 51 today, said: “She rang the company and they said: ‘You need to have a bike.‘ She said: ‘What? Even today? Can’t you make an exception?”’ She was told it would not be possible.
Nobody at Norfolkline was immediately available to comment.
British businessman stranded in France said he was had to buy a women’s bicycle to board a ferry in a bid to get home.
Tom Noble (52) from Highgate in north London, said ferry operator Norfolkline had no foot passenger tickets left and would only allow him to make the journey if he was a genuine cyclist.
The managing director said ferry staff at Dunkirk even made him ride the “rustic” contraption, which he had just bought from a second-hand shop, up the ramp.
In fact, half a dozen people grounded by the volcanic ash had the same idea, and boarded the boat in a wobbling parade of two-wheelers.
One man, a British Airways gold card member, was riding a children’s bicycle.
Mr Noble, the managing director of marketing company NeuroFocus UK, and his colleague, set off at 6am yesterday morning from Zurich in Switzerland.
The “epic adventure” involved six trains and three taxis just to reach the French ferry port. He was trying to get home for his wife’s birthday.
Speaking from on board the boat he said: “We were even forced to ride the bikes onto the ferry. You have to show you haven’t just picked one up from anywhere.
“But they are barely ride-able.” After reaching Lille the taxi driver misunderstood their instructions and first took them to a toy shop.
When the pair eventually made it to second-hand bicycle store he found a limited choice.
He bought a women’s bike in the classic French style for €49 (£43) while his colleague picked out a bright pink contraption with a giant basket in front.
Having arrived on British soil, Mr Noble said: “The ferry staff wouldn’t let us off as foot passengers. They didn’t just want to see us with the bikes, they wanted to see us ride them on and off.
“With two suitcases it was a tricky manoeuvre.
“If you read the rules it was the only way.” But Mr Noble said they were forced to dump the bicycles in order to get on a bus to go to the train station.
He joked: “It’s tragic. Having invested so heavily in these beautifully engineered bicycles, we had to leave them by the side of the road.”
But he added: “It’s been quite a laugh in a way.” Mr Noble’s daughter, Esme, a 19-year-old student at Nottingham University, booked the tickets yesterday morning when it became clear there would be no flights.
Waiting at home, his wife, Polly, who turns 51 today, said: “She rang the company and they said: ‘You need to have a bike.‘ She said: ‘What? Even today? Can’t you make an exception?”’ She was told it would not be possible.
Nobody at Norfolkline was immediately available to comment.
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
This can't be serious! Link?sheepshagger wrote:Passengers buy bikes for ferry
British businessman stranded in France said he was had to buy a women’s bicycle to board a ferry in a bid to get home.
Tom Noble (52) from Highgate in north London, said ferry operator Norfolkline had no foot passenger tickets left and would only allow him to make the journey if he was a genuine cyclist.
The managing director said ferry staff at Dunkirk even made him ride the “rustic” contraption, which he had just bought from a second-hand shop, up the ramp.
In fact, half a dozen people grounded by the volcanic ash had the same idea, and boarded the boat in a wobbling parade of two-wheelers.
One man, a British Airways gold card member, was riding a children’s bicycle.
Mr Noble, the managing director of marketing company NeuroFocus UK, and his colleague, set off at 6am yesterday morning from Zurich in Switzerland.
The “epic adventure” involved six trains and three taxis just to reach the French ferry port. He was trying to get home for his wife’s birthday.
Speaking from on board the boat he said: “We were even forced to ride the bikes onto the ferry. You have to show you haven’t just picked one up from anywhere.
“But they are barely ride-able.” After reaching Lille the taxi driver misunderstood their instructions and first took them to a toy shop.
When the pair eventually made it to second-hand bicycle store he found a limited choice.
He bought a women’s bike in the classic French style for €49 (£43) while his colleague picked out a bright pink contraption with a giant basket in front.
Having arrived on British soil, Mr Noble said: “The ferry staff wouldn’t let us off as foot passengers. They didn’t just want to see us with the bikes, they wanted to see us ride them on and off.
“With two suitcases it was a tricky manoeuvre.
“If you read the rules it was the only way.” But Mr Noble said they were forced to dump the bicycles in order to get on a bus to go to the train station.
He joked: “It’s tragic. Having invested so heavily in these beautifully engineered bicycles, we had to leave them by the side of the road.”
But he added: “It’s been quite a laugh in a way.” Mr Noble’s daughter, Esme, a 19-year-old student at Nottingham University, booked the tickets yesterday morning when it became clear there would be no flights.
Waiting at home, his wife, Polly, who turns 51 today, said: “She rang the company and they said: ‘You need to have a bike.‘ She said: ‘What? Even today? Can’t you make an exception?”’ She was told it would not be possible.
Nobody at Norfolkline was immediately available to comment.
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sheepshagger
- Leo Cullen
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Re: Irish airspace closure thread
19/04/2010 - 09:09:44
Aviation chiefs have closed Irish airspace until 6pm today and warned that the no-fly order imposed because of the Iceland volcanic ash cloud looks set to run until the end of the week.
Air traffic bosses at the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said the flight ban could remain until Thursday or Friday when it is hoped weather systems from the Atlantic will disperse the ash.
The IAA said the volcanic plume had effectively settled over the UK, North and Central Europe.
It has banned all commercial passenger flights, including North American traffic, from Irish airports until tonight.
“Similar types of restrictions are enforced in Northern and Central Europe as well as the UK,” the IAA said.
“The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre London, the competent European authority in relation to volcanic ash, projects that the ash cloud is almost stagnant over Europe.
“Until weather conditions change this pattern, ongoing restrictions will continue.”
2 AIR Ash Ireland
Ahead of a video conference of European transport ministers, the IAA said it hoped to use the experience of American air traffic bosses when Mount St Helen's erupted in 1980.
Eamonn Brennan, IAA chief executive, said safety was the top priority but added that they wanted authorities to examine scientific data to see if restrictions could be eased.
“In practice I think it could last all week long,” he said.
“Ireland and the UK are right slap bang in the middle of this thing; from a practical point of view there’s not much we can do about it.
“We are 100% guided by safety. The economic argument, while we are very, very aware of it, safety is our number one priority.”
Mr Brennan told RTE Radio: “What we are feeling here is that, although the thing may disperse naturally by Thursday or Friday with the winds, the problem is that the volcano may reoccur again in two weeks’ time – in two weeks’ time we could be facing the same problem.”
The IAA said it has been told the Icelandic volcano has been pumping out an average of 750 metric tonnes of ash per second over the last five days,
European Transport Ministers will hold a video conference later to discuss the ash crisis.
Airlines have been calling for a review of no-fly bans after conducting test flights at the weekend without any apparent problems from Iceland's ash cloud.
Austria has reopened its airports this morning and Italy is planning to do the same later.
Stranded Irish citizens are being urged to contact a special helpline set up by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Consular Crisis Centre is offering travel and visa advice on 01 - 408 29 99.
Aer Lingus has already cancelled all flights today, with the exception of its Washington to Madrid service, while Ryanair has extended its flight ban until at least 1pm on Wednesday.
And Ryanair is emailing all its passengers to let them know that no flights will operate until 1pm on Wednesday at the earliest.
Ryanair spokesperson Stephen McNamara has said passengers can rebook or claim a refund.
Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/flig ... z0lXC1ISxG
Aviation chiefs have closed Irish airspace until 6pm today and warned that the no-fly order imposed because of the Iceland volcanic ash cloud looks set to run until the end of the week.
Air traffic bosses at the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said the flight ban could remain until Thursday or Friday when it is hoped weather systems from the Atlantic will disperse the ash.
The IAA said the volcanic plume had effectively settled over the UK, North and Central Europe.
It has banned all commercial passenger flights, including North American traffic, from Irish airports until tonight.
“Similar types of restrictions are enforced in Northern and Central Europe as well as the UK,” the IAA said.
“The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre London, the competent European authority in relation to volcanic ash, projects that the ash cloud is almost stagnant over Europe.
“Until weather conditions change this pattern, ongoing restrictions will continue.”
2 AIR Ash Ireland
Ahead of a video conference of European transport ministers, the IAA said it hoped to use the experience of American air traffic bosses when Mount St Helen's erupted in 1980.
Eamonn Brennan, IAA chief executive, said safety was the top priority but added that they wanted authorities to examine scientific data to see if restrictions could be eased.
“In practice I think it could last all week long,” he said.
“Ireland and the UK are right slap bang in the middle of this thing; from a practical point of view there’s not much we can do about it.
“We are 100% guided by safety. The economic argument, while we are very, very aware of it, safety is our number one priority.”
Mr Brennan told RTE Radio: “What we are feeling here is that, although the thing may disperse naturally by Thursday or Friday with the winds, the problem is that the volcano may reoccur again in two weeks’ time – in two weeks’ time we could be facing the same problem.”
The IAA said it has been told the Icelandic volcano has been pumping out an average of 750 metric tonnes of ash per second over the last five days,
European Transport Ministers will hold a video conference later to discuss the ash crisis.
Airlines have been calling for a review of no-fly bans after conducting test flights at the weekend without any apparent problems from Iceland's ash cloud.
Austria has reopened its airports this morning and Italy is planning to do the same later.
Stranded Irish citizens are being urged to contact a special helpline set up by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Consular Crisis Centre is offering travel and visa advice on 01 - 408 29 99.
Aer Lingus has already cancelled all flights today, with the exception of its Washington to Madrid service, while Ryanair has extended its flight ban until at least 1pm on Wednesday.
And Ryanair is emailing all its passengers to let them know that no flights will operate until 1pm on Wednesday at the earliest.
Ryanair spokesperson Stephen McNamara has said passengers can rebook or claim a refund.
Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/flig ... z0lXC1ISxG
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olaf the fat
- Seán Cronin
- Posts: 3636
- Joined: April 5th, 2006, 11:35 am
- Location: On the sofa of perpetual pleasure
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
Heard on one of the radio shows(rte one i think) this morning that there has been already 13 days of strikes on french railway lines helping to slow things down. only 50% of high speed trains leaving
Might be a worry for anybody travelling to Toulouse via another french airport next week
Might be a worry for anybody travelling to Toulouse via another french airport next week
As they say in Russia, Goodbye in Russian
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
Awww great!! Volcanos and now French rail strikes... what next?olaf the fat wrote:Heard on one of the radio shows(rte one i think) this morning that there has been already 13 days of strikes on french railway lines helping to slow things down. only 50% of high speed trains leaving
Might be a worry for anybody travelling to Toulouse via another french airport next week
Dont Panic!
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sarah_lennon
- Jamie Heaslip
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- Joined: April 19th, 2006, 4:14 pm
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
Gerald Fleming of Met Éireann says there will be a significant decrease in the ash content over Ireland and the UK tomorrow, but it is not yet known whether that will allow flights to resume.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0419/travelupdates.html
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0419/travelupdates.html
Ici, ici, c'est Dublin 4
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sarah_lennon
- Jamie Heaslip
- Posts: 15372
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Re: Irish airspace closure thread
14:03 Irish airspace could be clear by tomorrow evening or Wednesday morning.
The Aviation Division at Met Éireann says that the fact that the volcano has stopped emitting ash, combined with prevailing meteorological conditions, means that the skies could clear sooner than originally thought.
The Aviation Division at Met Éireann says that the fact that the volcano has stopped emitting ash, combined with prevailing meteorological conditions, means that the skies could clear sooner than originally thought.
Ici, ici, c'est Dublin 4
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
Anyone starting to get paranoid that this will go on for ages more and cause problems for the Toulouse game?
“As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.”
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
Ahh sure I'm worried about me holidays in July n'all.CiaranIrl wrote:Anyone starting to get paranoid that this will go on for ages more and cause problems for the Toulouse game?
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Peg Leg
- Rob Kearney
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Re: Irish airspace closure thread
johng wrote:Ahh sure I'm worried about me holidays in July n'all.CiaranIrl wrote:Anyone starting to get paranoid that this will go on for ages more and cause problems for the Toulouse game?
They Let You Onto Airplanes????
"It was Mrs O'Leary's cow"
Daniel Sullivan
Daniel Sullivan
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
Ask yer mott!Peg Leg wrote:johng wrote:Ahh sure I'm worried about me holidays in July n'all.CiaranIrl wrote:Anyone starting to get paranoid that this will go on for ages more and cause problems for the Toulouse game?
They Let You Onto Airplanes????
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sheepshagger
- Leo Cullen
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Re: Irish airspace closure thread
19/04/2010 - 14:12:13
Weather forecasters today signalled a no-flight order imposed here amid fears over the volcanic ash cloud will ease tomorrow evening.
Met Éireann said information from geological experts in London suggested the eruption in Iceland has virtually stopped and the plume may move north in the next 24-36 hours.
David Murphy, head of the agency’s aviation services division, said he was optimistic the situation would dramatically improve after five days of almost total airspace shut down.
“The good news is that the most recent advice we have from the London Volcano Ash Advisory Centre is that the eruption has virtually ceased with only small amounts of ash and it goes up only to about 6,000ft,” he told RTÉ Radio.
“If that continues, in other words if the eruption has ceased and remains stopped then the current ash plume will probably be blown away from the UK and Ireland overnight, by tomorrow night at the latest.
“There’s a good chance that Ireland and UK airspace, or most of it, will be clear by some time coming into tomorrow evening or at the latest the following morning.”
Aviation chiefs had feared Irish airspace would be closed until the end of the week.
But Mr Murphy said weather patterns should return to the traditional south-westerly direction towards the end of the week.
“Even if it erupts by Friday the airflow at that stage suggests that we will remain clear along with most of western Europe,” he said.
Flight bans are in place until 6pm today but the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is expected to further extend the order.
“Similar types of restrictions are enforced in Northern and Central Europe as well as the UK,” the IAA said.
Ahead of a video conference of European transport ministers, the IAA said it hoped to use the experience of American air traffic chiefs when Mount St Helen’s erupted in 1980.
Eamonn Brennan, IAA chief executive, said safety was the top priority but added that they wanted authorities to examine scientific data to see if restrictions could be eased.
The IAA said it has been told the Icelandic volcano has been pumping out an average of 750 metric tonnes of ash a second over the past five days,
The Government’s emergency planning taskforce met in central Dublin and said the latest geological reports showed activity at the volcano on the Eyjafjallajokull glacier has diminished.
Environment Minister John Gormley said the matter had been discussed at Cabinet and he was in constant contact with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“It’s a very serious issue for this country, an island state that depends, for our exports and for our tourism, on planes. We hope that we can find a solution to this as quickly as possible,” he said.
“It is very much dependent on weather conditions and we’ve had unusual weather patterns now where a country that is known for wind ... we haven’t had that wind and we haven’t had rain for quite some time.”
Quelling any potential public health fears, Mr Gormley said volcanic ash posed no threat to drinking water supplies.
Meanwhile Ryanair said today that one million of its passengers have been affected by the European airspace restrictions.
The airline - which has been forced to cancel 7,000 flights across its network - has grounded all services until 1pm on Wednesday.
The Dublin Airport Authority said 2,000 flights have been cancelled in and out of Dublin alone since last Thursday, causing disruption to a quarter of a million passengers.
Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/no-f ... z0lYXU3DEN
Weather forecasters today signalled a no-flight order imposed here amid fears over the volcanic ash cloud will ease tomorrow evening.
Met Éireann said information from geological experts in London suggested the eruption in Iceland has virtually stopped and the plume may move north in the next 24-36 hours.
David Murphy, head of the agency’s aviation services division, said he was optimistic the situation would dramatically improve after five days of almost total airspace shut down.
“The good news is that the most recent advice we have from the London Volcano Ash Advisory Centre is that the eruption has virtually ceased with only small amounts of ash and it goes up only to about 6,000ft,” he told RTÉ Radio.
“If that continues, in other words if the eruption has ceased and remains stopped then the current ash plume will probably be blown away from the UK and Ireland overnight, by tomorrow night at the latest.
“There’s a good chance that Ireland and UK airspace, or most of it, will be clear by some time coming into tomorrow evening or at the latest the following morning.”
Aviation chiefs had feared Irish airspace would be closed until the end of the week.
But Mr Murphy said weather patterns should return to the traditional south-westerly direction towards the end of the week.
“Even if it erupts by Friday the airflow at that stage suggests that we will remain clear along with most of western Europe,” he said.
Flight bans are in place until 6pm today but the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is expected to further extend the order.
“Similar types of restrictions are enforced in Northern and Central Europe as well as the UK,” the IAA said.
Ahead of a video conference of European transport ministers, the IAA said it hoped to use the experience of American air traffic chiefs when Mount St Helen’s erupted in 1980.
Eamonn Brennan, IAA chief executive, said safety was the top priority but added that they wanted authorities to examine scientific data to see if restrictions could be eased.
The IAA said it has been told the Icelandic volcano has been pumping out an average of 750 metric tonnes of ash a second over the past five days,
The Government’s emergency planning taskforce met in central Dublin and said the latest geological reports showed activity at the volcano on the Eyjafjallajokull glacier has diminished.
Environment Minister John Gormley said the matter had been discussed at Cabinet and he was in constant contact with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“It’s a very serious issue for this country, an island state that depends, for our exports and for our tourism, on planes. We hope that we can find a solution to this as quickly as possible,” he said.
“It is very much dependent on weather conditions and we’ve had unusual weather patterns now where a country that is known for wind ... we haven’t had that wind and we haven’t had rain for quite some time.”
Quelling any potential public health fears, Mr Gormley said volcanic ash posed no threat to drinking water supplies.
Meanwhile Ryanair said today that one million of its passengers have been affected by the European airspace restrictions.
The airline - which has been forced to cancel 7,000 flights across its network - has grounded all services until 1pm on Wednesday.
The Dublin Airport Authority said 2,000 flights have been cancelled in and out of Dublin alone since last Thursday, causing disruption to a quarter of a million passengers.
Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/no-f ... z0lYXU3DEN
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Peg Leg
- Rob Kearney
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- Contact:
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
How'd you know she was a pilot??johng wrote:Ask yer mott!Peg Leg wrote:johng wrote: Ahh sure I'm worried about me holidays in July n'all.
They Let You Onto Airplanes????
"It was Mrs O'Leary's cow"
Daniel Sullivan
Daniel Sullivan
Re: Irish airspace closure thread
Stop! Stop! you are making it too easy for me.
I could have mentioned Cockpits...Going down....Mile high club...
I'll let you off this time
I could have mentioned Cockpits...Going down....Mile high club...
I'll let you off this time
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Grumpy Old Man
- Shane Jennings
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