For the last 5 weeks or so the UK has been plagued by an ash cloud from a continually erupting volcano in Iceland. When it first struck, UK airspace was closed for almost a week, with costs to the airliners and travel industry soaring into the millions.
'Too dangerous to fly through a ash cloud,' they said. And personally, I am all for closing airspace when there is even the tiniest risk to the lives of passengers.
But this has impacted the whole of Europe and now it's back again closing various airports. Iceland has a number of volcanos and it will only be a matter of time until a bigger one erupts. Do we close the entire continent's airspace again then? The current eruption is set to last for some time yet - so we do we just keep closing airspace for the next month? Two months? Three? We better freakin' not. I've got two trips in the next two months, both of which count on open air space!
However, my point is this. Why are there no provisions made for this now? If we can put a man on the moon and even send tourists into space, why do we not yet feel that our aircraft can handle flying through ash? And if this is the case, why has something not been done about it?
Just a thought.
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