Ash cloud concerns
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We've been planning a vacation to Italy for almost a year. Now it seems in jeopardy with this volcanic ash cloud. As of right now, Rome airport is still open. But who knows for how long? We are to depart for Rome this coming Tuesday night, in 72 hours. Will we be able to? We are on pins and needles, and praying to Auster, the Roman god of the south wind. Let's hope he huffs and he puffs and he blows that dang cloud away! -- Paula, US
My husband was stuck in Helsinki on Thursday. On Saturday, he and his business associate took a ferry to Stockholm, then a train to Oslo in hopes of flying out to the US on Monday. He is from Michigan and is on business. He sells aircraft parts to European airlines. He wonders how this disruption and potential future disruption in European air travel will affect his long term business. If the volcano continues to erupt, it could mean long term delays and disruptions. -- Daryl, US
I'm from Florida and I'm getting married in about 15 days. My fiancé is German and his family and friends are flying in to Florida for the wedding. Some friends and family were already planning to travel this week and we are literally on the edge of our seats waiting to see if the flight bans will be lifted in Dusseldorf and Cologne. It would be such a shame if half of our guests could not make it! We are praying that the air clears up soon ... very soon. -- Diana, US
I am one of about 100 people stranded in Bangkok on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Frankfurt and onward flights to destinations in Europe and North Africa. We are all yearning for forecasts of how long the different airports will be closed and at what time decisions about the reopening will be taken at those airports. It would be great if Deutsche Welle could regularly broadcast an info chart with this information on TV and on their website. -- Karl H. Hergarten, Germany
The airspace closures appear to originate with bureaucrats applying the precautionary principle on the basis of the BA 009 event [June 1982, a British Airways 747 flew into a cloud of volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Galunggung, Indonesia, resulting in the temporary failure of all four engines -- Ed] I believe there is a need to base decisions on engineering and scientific information instead. We need to know what the vulnerability of each aircraft type really is, relative to various (low) levels of ash concentration. And we also need to know what the actual concentrations and nature of contaminants are. Piston engine aircraft, which have intake air filtration, possibly are no more vulnerable to low levels of contamination than cars and trucks are. Historically jets have routinely operated in low level sand and ash contamination conditions without problems other than potentially accelerated wear. We know high levels of ash are a big no-no. No question about that. But we need to know what the real boundaries are relating to low levels. So, more should be done to rigorously investigate the danger. And it needs to be carried out urgently to avoid major job losses. -- Martin Geliot, Germany
I work at SFO and see all major European airlines aircraft parked at the edge of the terminal and I see some people are kinda camping out in the food courts. This will cause lasting problems for weeks AFTER the ash cloud settles. -- Michael Ray Peterson, US
People I know are having problems with their travel plans. A growing concern is the health issues related to the ash cloud. -- Eugene Markow, Poland
Compiled by Stuart Tiffen
Editor: Susan Houlton
