Airline travellers have been in for another week of travel chaos and disruption thanks to more volcanic ash from the Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland. 500 flights were cancelled across Europe and services in and out of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England were hit hard.
Dozens of planes were grounded at UK airports on Tuesday including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Barra, Prestwick, Cumbernauld, Londonderry, Tiree, Carlisle and Durham Tees Valley. Airports say they are hoping to resume normal services but have warned of possible delays and passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling.
Forecasters said that if eruptions from the Grimsvotn volcano continued at "current variables", all areas with the exception of East Anglia and south-west England might be affected by ash, with the potential to disrupt flights.
Stansted Airport
The airport advises on its site that ‘some flights today may continue to be affected by volcanic ash from Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano. Please check the status of your flight or contact your airline for further information.’
The airport has had a busy week as the US President and his wife, Michelle Obama, flew into Stansted on Air Force One earlier than expected because of a volcanic eruption in Iceland. They were accompanied by an army of more than 500 staff and security.
Although a host of dignitaries, including Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were not present as expected, staff at the Essex hub, including airport boss Nick Barton were on hand for the formal greetings. It is the second time the US President has used Stansted. In 2009 he flew into the airport with Mrs Obama for the G20 Summit.
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