NATS introduces new measures for dealing with ash

NATS announced (17-May-2010) new measures approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) means ash restrictions on UK airspace can be eased. Aircraft can now safely fly through "medium density" ash following the introduction of a new zone that defines the concentration of the ash cloud. Previously, the CAA has dealt with the ash cloud by applying no-fly zones (NFZ) in areas of greatest ash density, and enhanced procedures zones (EPZ) in areas of low density, which were introduced during the six-day crisis last month. A third time-limited zone (TLZ) is now being introduced for areas of medium ash density. As a result of this change, there are no predicted restrictions on UK airspace in the immediate future. [more]