Europe on alert for volcano ash cloud

An eruption by Iceland’s most active volcano was set to keep the island’s main airport shut on Monday, while other European nations watched for any impact on their air routes from a towering plume of smoke and ash.

An eruption by Iceland’s most active volcano was set to keep the island’s main airport shut on Monday, while other European nations watched for any impact on their air routes from a towering plume of smoke and ash.

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Experts said they saw little chance of a repeat of last year’s six-day closure of airspace, which also hit transatlantic flights, when another Icelandic volcano erupted, although airlines have been warned the new ash cloud will drift.

So far Iceland, particularly the towns and villages to the south and east of the Grimsvotn volcano, has suffered most.

The cloud had also begun to drift over the capital Reykjavik by late Sunday evening and the civil aviation authority said the prospects for re-opening the main international airport on Monday were not good.

Europe’s air traffic control organisation warned on its website that ash could spread southwards.