EU Conducts Test Flights To Assess Impact of Volcanic Ash On Aircraft

chrb writes "As we discussed on Friday, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland has led to flights being canceled across the EU. With travel chaos ensuing and the airlines losing an estimated $200 million per day, EU authorities are coming under increasing pressure to re-open the airways. Test flights conducted on Saturday were apparently successful, with no problems encountered during flight. Following the test flights, Peter Hartman, CEO of KLM, said, 'We hope to receive permission as soon as possible after that to start up our operation and to transport our passengers to their destinations.' Evidence possibly opposing this move comes from the Finnish Defense Forces, which released photos and a statement after F-18 Hornets flew through the ash cloud, saying, 'Based on the pictures, it was discovered that even short flights in ash dust may cause significant damage to an airplane's engine.' Is it safe to resume flights so soon, or should planes remain grounded until the ash cloud has dissipated?"

Re:Keep them on the ground

[Again]

Yes, it sucks. To the tune of hundreds of millions of $$ per day. But this stuff can and will kill an engine. I wouldn't want to depend on a lucky restart.

You're wrong, I watched 2012 and ash doesn't harm the engine only it only makes it harder for the pilot to see.

Re:One new thing - transatlantic on 2 engines

[Anonymous Coward]

ETOPS = Engines Turn or Passengers Swim.

Re:How long will it last?

[flyingfsck]

So, you never heard of Pterodactyl Airlines, did you? ;)

Re:Goodness, Who To Believe...

[Swampash]

What's that, Chief Brody? You want to close the BEACHES?

Come one come all! A new AGE is upon us!

[arcite]

No, no, this is not the end times you have been reading about. This is the DAWN of a new age of travel! A GLORIOUS adventure on the high seas! See the world ANEW! Why measure your transatlantic travel in hours when it can be measured in DAYs or even WEEKS? Relive a bygone era when it was the JOURNEY that mattered most, not the destination. After a lazy brunch, take a mid-morning stroll on the upper deck in your best pinstripes, while your lady swings her parasol without a care in the world. Dine on the finest cuts of meat, drink the finest wines! Try your luck at the baccarat tables! End your evening with a stout cigar, staring blissfully toward the star filled night sky. It's the future!

Blame Steve Jobs...

[itsdapead]

This is all a ploy by Apple to stop Europeans flying to the USA to buy iPads, after the worldwide launch was delayed!

Its not clear whether Jobs has actually placed iNukes in the Icelandic volcano to cause the eruption or if Apple have teamed up with the CIA, SPECTRE, THRUSH, SkyNet and the Milk Marketing Board to hack computers and exaggerate the threats!! Maybe that's not ash on the computer projections - its the famous Reality Distortion Field!!!

Expect the ban to persist until the end of May!!!!

Now I expect all the Apple fanbois will crawl out of the woodwork and start trying to deny the obvious truth, and I'll be modded down faster than an Airbus with both engines on fire. If Microsoft had done this everybody would be up in arms!!!!!

The ash cloud is now attacking servers!

[fcbs]

Flights disruptions caused by the ash cloud is only the *beginning*.

The volcanic ash is now attacking servers! Check the disclaimer here, to convince yourself of the problems we're now facing : http://www.ascii-codes.net/cp861.html [ascii-codes.net]

Re:Blame Steve Jobs...

[maxwell demon]

If Microsoft had done this everybody would be up in arms!!!!!

It was Microsoft! You didn't think MS wouldn't take revenge for the browser court order, did you?

Eyjafjallajökull

[falken0905]

The volcano whose name shall not be spoken. Or at least can not be spoken by anyone who does not speak Icelandic. It's amusing watching news readers avoiding naming the volcano. Perhaps it needs a friendlier name... anyone?

Re:Eyjafjallajökull

[Zumbs]

It's not that bad is is? I mean, you just have to split the name into logical parts Eyja-fjalla-jökull. There is also a nice example of pronounciation at the wikipedia entry [wikipedia.org], sounding something like Eva-ley-kull.

Re:Safe to Fly!

[peipas]

Thanks to your comment I read the Wikipedia article [wikipedia.org] in its entirety and the below excerpt is phenomenal:

Despite the lack of time, [Captain Eric] Moody made an announcement to the passengers that has been described as "a masterpiece of understatement":

Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them under control. I trust you are not in too much distress.