Economy Class & Beyond

Volcanic Ash III – Easing slowly – London Area and most of UK open, NI and Shetlands Shut.

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Things are looking up as airspace is reopening - with Heathrow and Gatwick operating without restrictions. However, the Shetland Isles and Northern Ireland Airports are affected badly still.And who says there's no fun in air travel.Updates as they come will feed onto here. Statement from NATS below: Update on Monday 17 May, 1100 The CAA has lifted the no-fly zone that has been … [Read more...]

Volcanic Ash III – Now it gets complex…

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It seems this pain in the ash cloud is changing constantly, with airports closing and reopening as soon as gaps are opening up.Heathrow and Gatwick have reopened, with restrictions inbound to LGW.Not a fun day for wanting to be in the air...NATS statement below:The volcanic ash cloud continues to change shape and two key areas affect operations stretching from the South of … [Read more...]

Volcanic Ash III – HEATHROW AND GATWICK TO CLOSE.

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NATS have updated their advice - and it's not good. The ash as feared has intensified and will be closing Heathrow, Gatwick, City and many other airfields from 01:00BST 17/05 to at least 07:00BST, there will be many airports closed. Other airports may be reopening, but how can I put it nicely... CHECK WITH YOUR AIRLINE BEFORE YOU SET OFF. Whilst GhettoIFE may not be able to … [Read more...]

Latest NATS announcement: more airports to close

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It seems the cloud of ash is drifting further southward, with BHX and Norwich closing/due to close. London airports remain open - for now... More later.Update on Sunday 16 May, 1630For the period 1900 today (local time) until 0100 tomorrow (Monday) London’s main airports will still be clear of the no-fly zone imposed by the CAA due to the high density volcanic ash … [Read more...]

NATS update – uk airpace slowly closing down

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Latest from NATS and it's not good news. Whilst the London area airports remain open, a lot have now closed. See the list in the NATS announcement below. It goes without saying, but check with your airline BEFORE you set out.Update on Sunday 16 May, 1030The CAA’s no-fly zone required by the high density volcanic ash cloud will not affect London airports for the period … [Read more...]

Volcanic Ash III – Closures Round 1

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Ok - off we go again.All Belfast airports will be closed from 07:00BST until 13:00 Isle of Man : Closed 07:00BST until 13:00Dublin and Shannon remain open until 13:00BST, with all other Irish airports closed from 07:00Expect more as the day progresses. Latest NATS statement below:A high density volcanic ash cloud is rapidly encroaching on Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. … [Read more...]

Volcanic Ash III – The New Batch

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Oh hell. Here we go yet again. It seems that volcano in Iceland is letting itself off again, and the ash is starting to redensify up.Predications are it will affect UK airspace from Sunday through to Tuesday, with NATS providing the current update that Belfast and Dublin are currently open with the cloud near Western Ireland.The situation of course "is fluid", and quite … [Read more...]

Deja vu? BA once again goes off to the courts…

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Am I having flashbacks to December again? Probably, as British Airways has gone back to court to stop the 20 day strike that is due to commence on Tuesday.Lets have the spin from BA.... "The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 requires unions to send everyone eligible to vote details of the exact breakdown of the ballot result."  "We do … [Read more...]

A big Olá to TAM Airlines

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Star Alliance today has enlarged again, with the joining of TAM Brazilian Airlines.Now, this is quite a big thing for Star Alliance, as it fills in one hell of a hole that exists in South America (with only connecting traffic with US, UA, LX, CO and a few others). Originally, this was covered by Varig, but due to many issues (least of all bankruptcy), it was ejected from Star … [Read more...]

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