Europe's airlines and airports question flight bans

Europe's airlines and airports have called for an immediate reassessment of flight restrictions imposed because of volcanic ash from Iceland.

Two bodies that represent most of Europe's airlines and airports say they question the extent of the flight restrictions currently imposed.

Airlines that have carried out test flights say planes showed no obvious damage after flying through the ash.

Millions of travellers have been hit by four days of air travel disruption.

The disruption is said to be greater than the shutdown that followed the 9/11 attacks.

About 20 European countries have closed their airspace and some have extended flight bans into Monday.


COUNTRIES AFFECTED
Airspace closed:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
Partial closures:
Italy (northern airspace closed until Monday)
Norway (limited flights in north)
Flights operating:
Greece, Portugal, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Spain

Live updates on cloud
In pictures: Flight disruption
Economic impact of closures

The flight bans came amid fears that the ash - a mixture of glass, sand and rock particles - can seriously damage aircraft engines. Airlines are estimated to be losing some £130m ($200m) a day.

The two airline bodies, ACI Europe and AEA, said: "The eruption of the Icelandic volcano is not an unprecedented event and the procedures applied in other parts of the world for volcanic eruptions do not appear to require the kind of restrictions that are presently being imposed in Europe."

One of the airlines that carried out tests over the weekend was Dutch carrier KLM.

Its chief executive Peter Hartman, who was on board, said there was "nothing unusual" about the flight.

"If the technical examination confirms this... we then hope to get permission as soon as possible to partially restart our operations," he added.

Steven Verhagen, vice-president of the Dutch Airline Pilots Association, told the Associated Press news agency: "In our opinion there is absolutely no reason to worry about resuming flights."

Germany's two biggest airlines, Lufthansa and Air Berlin, also said they had carried out test flights without apparent damage, as did Air France.

Air Berlin spokeswoman Diana Daedelow told the BBC: "It is astonishing that these findings... have seemingly been ignored in the decision-making process of the aviation safety authorities."

Worsening disruption

British Airways is due to conduct test flights over the Atlantic later on Sunday. Results are expected on Monday.

Day turns to night as the dense ash cloud leaves Eyjafjallajokull in the dark

However BBC business editor Robert Peston says BA and other airlines are working on the assumption that they will not be allowed to fly until Thursday at the earliest.

UK Transport Secretary Lord Adonis, said "urgent discussions" were taking place between European and international agencies to ease the chaos.

"We want to be able to resume flights as soon as possible, but safety remains my paramount concern," he said.



I've only got enough medication for my epilepsy to last me until tomorrow, so my seizures are likely to start again unless I get access to that
George Craib, Amsterdam
Volcano ash: Your stories

Weather experts say wind patterns mean the cloud is not likely to move far until later in the week.

Brian Flynn, head of operations at Eurocontrol - which co-ordinates air traffic control in 38 nations - said aviation authorities were dealing with an "unknown phenomenon", but dismissed suggestions they were being over-cautious.

"With the over-riding objective of protecting the travelling public, these exceptional measures have to be taken," he said.

Meanwhile travel disruption worsened on Sunday. Eurocontrol said only 4,000 flights were expected in European airspace, against 24,000 normally.

On Saturday there were 5,000 flights. All but 55 of 337 scheduled flights by US carriers to and from Europe were also cancelled.

Polish funeral

Since Thursday, countries across northern and central Europe have either closed airspace or shut key airports.


Ash plume from the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano 17 April 2010

Iceland volcano in maps
Volcanic ash: Your travel stories
How long will ash last?

Britain has extended a ban on most flights in its airspace until at least 0700 local time on Monday (0600 GMT).

Ireland is closing its airspace until 1200 GMT on Monday.

However airports in northern Spain - including Barcelona - reopened on Sunday.

Ukraine opened Kiev airport, which had been closed since Saturday, enabling President Viktor Yanukovich to attend the funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

Many world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, were unable to attend the funeral of Mr Kaczynski, who was killed in a plane crash last week, because of the travel restrictions.

Commuters across northern Europe have sought other means of transport, packing out trains, buses and ferries.

Southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajoekull volcano began erupting for the second time in a month on Wednesday, sending a plume of ash 8.5km (5.3 miles) high into the air.