BY ALLISON CROSS, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE
Some flights from Amsterdam and Paris took off Tuesday, say European Union officials, but the ash cloud from the eruption of an Icelandic volcano continues to significantly hinder the movement of air traffic.
EU officials agreed Monday to open some air space after facing significant criticism from the airline industry, which says it is losing billions of dollars in business.
But the continuing danger of flying through an ash cloud means the majority of planes, including those set to leave from major British airports, remain grounded.
There was no sign of escalating activity at Iceland's erupting volcano Tuesday, and the plume of ash wreaking havoc for air traffic across Europe had clearly diminished, experts said. "We are not seeing an escalation in activity," University of Iceland geophysicist Sigrun Hreinsdottir told AFP. "We still see a contraction of the volcano, which is always good. I would worry if we saw expansion of the volcano, but we are seeing the volcano shrink," she added.
Meanwhile Europe was a mishmash of some airports being open, some allowing a few flights out and others like England, which were largely closed. Around half of up to 28,000 flights scheduled in Europe for Tuesday will take place, the body coordinating air traffic control across the continent said.
A spokeswoman for the executive European Commission said there had been more flights out of Paris and Amsterdam and more domestic flights in Italy on Tuesday. “We are very pleased to see more flights are taking place since this morning,” spokeswoman Helen Kearns told a news briefing. “We do see progress, even if it's slow progress.”EU member states agreed on Monday to reduce the size of the no-fly zone around the volcano in Iceland from 0600 GMT under pressure from airlines losing an estimated $250 million a day. “We know there are still a lot of problems for passengers on the ground,” Kearns said. “We are faced with an unprecedented crisis. The disruption will continue over the week”.
The crisis has highlighted the European Union's inability to get a coordinated aviation system off the ground, leaving travellers and airlines frustrated. Today the EU is composed of 27 separate airspaces and "the decision to close or reopen it lies only with national governments," as a European Commission official said.
The cancelled flights are also hurting other businesses who are having trouble getting supplies. Nissan said Tuesday it will suspend some car production in Japan because it cannot import parts from Ireland due to air traffic disruption brought about by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano.
Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO for the Air Transport Association (IATA) called the impact of the ash cloud, and the subsequent closure of air space, worse than 9/11.
Millions of international travellers, including an unknown number of Canadians, remain stranded in Europe and abroad.
In a news statement Monday afternoon, Air Canada said the company's flights to and from London Heathrow, as well as those to and from Frankfurt and Munich, remained cancelled.
Britain is using its navy to help its citizens and on Tuesday, HMS Albion arrived in northern Spain to ferry home soldiers returning from Afghanistan and some civilians.
It's not yet clear what kind of help Canadians trapped abroad will get from government.
A planned visit to Canada by Princess Anne could be in jeopardy. The Princess was set to fly to Halifax on April 21 to mark the 50 years of medical services within the Canadian Forces.
In London, More than 100 students and staff from two Montreal-area high schools were waiting to return to Canada after being stranded in the U.K. They were passing the time by playing soccer and watching movies.
NDP consumer protection critic Glenn Thibeault pressed the government Monday in question period on the amount of assistance Canada is providing for Canadians stranded abroad because of the ash cloud.
“The European governments are taking action — Britain is sending a Navy ship ... is working with Spain to use their airports to fly their citizens home,” Thibeault said. “Canadian travellers haven't been as lucky”.
Thibeault said the government has offered “little more than a (toll-free number) and an Internet link”.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Canadian officials continue to monitor the situation and offer consular assistance.
“We hope the airspace will reopen, so that the affected Canadians can return safely back to Canada,” Cannon said, reminding anybody affected to check the Foreign Affairs website and to watch for travel advisories.
With files from Reuters, Laura Stone, Canwest News Service, Montreal Gazette and National Post
The Vancouver Sun
