A new plume of ash from the erupting Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland has forced Irish aviation authorities to ground all flights in and out of the country, while UK authorities will close some airspace around Scotland.
The Irish Aviation Authority moved to impose restrictions on all flights in and out of the country on May 4 between 0700 and 1300 local time due to predicted ash concentrations exceeding acceptable levels for jet aircraft. The restrictions effectively grounded flights at eight airports, including Dublin, Shannon and Galway, although overflights of the nation to the UK and Europe will not be affected, while flights to mainland Europe will operate normally.
The UK CAA has also announced that the forecast of the ash dispersal will lead to limited airspace closures around Scotland, with airspace closed around the Outer Hebrides, which has shut down operations from the islands of Barra and Benbecula.
Unlike the disruptions in April, the latest ash clouds are not expected to disrupt airport operations in other parts of Europe, with airports in Britain such as London Heathrow and Manchester expected to continue operating normally.
