The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has advised that high concentrations of ash from the volcanic eruption in Iceland will reach parts of Scotland during this morning.
Consequently six flights between Manchester and Aberdeen and Inverness have been cancelled. Approximately 200 passengers who should have travelled on these services should check with their airline before going to the airport. Edinburgh and Glasgow services are not currently affected.
Manchester Airport will also handle nine Thomas Cook and Thomson flights today that should have departed from Glasgow and Edinburgh. A further five flights operated by these airlines to Glasgow and Edinburgh have also landed at Manchester with all passengers connecting by coaches arranged by their airlines.
A Manchester Airport spokesperson said "Other than this, Manchester Airport is operating normally and we do not expect this to change for the foreseeable future.
"We can reassure passengers with travel plans over the next few days that unlike 2010, the CAA will not close airspace.
"This is because since April 2010, the aviation industry has learnt enough about the effect of volcanic ash on aircraft to allow all flights to operate safely if low or medium concentrations of ash are present in the atmosphere.
"The CAA will work with the Met Office to advise airlines and airports precisely where ash is present in the atmosphere and at what density.
"Airlines will then use this information and test results from the manufacturers of aircraft engines to plan and operate flights safely."
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Photo is of the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull taken by Henrik Thorburn.
Comments
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The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has advised that high concentrations of ash from the volcanic eruption in Iceland have moved away from the UK today and Manchester Airport is operating normally. We do not expect this to change for the foreseeable future.
Only one flight has been cancelled to Hamburg this morning as the high concentration of ash passes over Germany and Denmark. We do not expect this to cause any major disruption today.
Reports today that flights may be disrupted later this week are based on long range forecasts that are likely to change. Regardless, we can reassure passengers with travel plans over the next few days that unlike in April and May 2010, the CAA will not impose no fly zones.