The Icelandic Met Office in mid-August raised its aviation alert level to ‘orange’ as a result of activity in the Bardarbunga volcano, following a major earthquake, the largest in the area since 1996. On the five-color scale, orange sits one level below red, which denotes an active eruption, or one that is imminent. The 25km-wide volcano sits beneath Europe’s largest glacier and rises about 1,890 metres sea level. The warning will ensure that airlines … [Read more...] about Iceland volcano threatens Eyjafjallajökull repeat
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Dubai Int’l grows April cargo, pax despite ash
The volcanic ash cloud that grounded flights around the world for six days last month had a minimal impact on growth at Dubai International as April cargo and passenger numbers rose 19.6 and 13.9 per cent respectively, year-on-year. The airport handled 178,357 tonnes of cargo in April and 3.9 million passengers. … [Read more...] about Dubai Int’l grows April cargo, pax despite ash
Dubai Int'l grows April cargo, pax despite ash
The volcanic ash cloud that grounded flights around the world for six days last month had a minimal impact on growth at Dubai International as April cargo and passenger numbers rose 19.6 and 13.9 per cent respectively, year-on-year. The airport handled 178,357 tonnes of cargo in April and 3.9 million passengers. … [Read more...] about Dubai Int'l grows April cargo, pax despite ash
Cargo up in April at BAA airports despite ash closure
The British Airports Authority says that despite the disruption from Iceland's volcanic ash cloud which closed UK airspace for several days, cargo tonnage in April was up 6.2 per cent on last year reflecting what it said is the underlying strength of the air cargo business. Passenger traffic slumped by 22.7 per cent last month as a direct result of the ash cloud. Worst hit were Southampton and Edinburgh airports which saw passenger numbers tumble by 27 and 26 per cent respectively. Heathrow and … [Read more...] about Cargo up in April at BAA airports despite ash closure
EU warns against “lavishing” emergency aid
The European Union has warned governments against lavishing emergency aid on airlines to make up for losses from disruptions in operations caused by the eruption of a volcano in Iceland. But it proposed other measures to help them recover from the weeklong shutdown of air travel. The European Commission’s own estimate of losses ranged from €1.5 billion to €2.5 billion, taking into account losses by airlines, airports and tour operators, said Siim Kallas, the EU transport … [Read more...] about EU warns against “lavishing” emergency aid
An-225 helps clear volcano backlog
In one of the stranger side-effects of the Icelandic volcano's eruption, the world's largest freighter – the Antonov An-225 - has performed its first charter from China, carrying a full load of general cargo. The aircraft - owned by Antonov Airlines and normally associated only with the very largest and heaviest outsize loads – transported the cargo from Shijiazhuang Airport (SJW) near Beijing to Vitoria (VIT), Spain on behalf of a major, but unspecified freight forwarder. … [Read more...] about An-225 helps clear volcano backlog