Volcano eruption closes airports operating

Author: Editorial

April 16, 2010

Berlin (ddp). The volcanic eruption in Iceland on Friday to cripple the operations in Germany, largely. Germany's largest airport in Frankfurt am Main clock had stopped since 8.00 because of the dangerous ash clouds for machine operation, said a spokesman for the operator Fraport in the morning.

+ + + + Display

According to the German air traffic control equipment will be diverted to Munich. However, could the second largest airport in Germany from the evening will also be closed. On the morning of the flight was operating in Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Cologne-Bonn and Muenster-Osnabrueck recruited for an indefinite period.

Since 8.00 clock started European machines are no longer with the aim of Frankfurt, said an airport spokesman. Aircraft that are already in the air could still land or would be diverted to other airports. The airport in East Germany would probably gradually closed on Friday, said a spokeswoman for the German air traffic control.

When the ash cloud moving with the current speed of about 35 kilometers per hour towards the south, they would arrive about 20.00 clock in Munich, said an airport spokesman. Currently run from Munich only aircraft with destinations to the south. Connections to northern Germany, Scandinavia, Great Britain and the Benelux countries had already removed almost all said the spokesman.

+ + + + Display

The air traffic control expected with prolonged effects of the unprecedented incident for Europe. Even if the ash cloud from the volcano Eyjafjallajökull volatilize immediately, it will take until the normalizing operation, said spokeswoman Ute Otterbein. But after the strike by Lufthansa pilots it took four days, until the situation has normalized. Now, however, concerns a European-wide event. When to have the pulling from north to south Germany ash cloud crosses, has not yet been determined, according to Otterbein.

+ + + + Display

The volcano on the southern Iceland erupted on Wednesday. The lava did the glacial ice above the volcano to melt, leaving smoke and ash rise miles high. The wind drives over the British Isles to mainland Europe.

If aircraft are flying through the ash clouds, the very hard and sharp particles cause dangerous damage. You can stick including aircraft engines and bring to a halt and affect sensors for flight data collection. In northern and northwestern Europe were so many flights canceled on Thursday. In the UK, all flights are canceled, with certain exceptions to at least Friday evening.

+ + + + Display