UK airports to reopen in very surprising move

According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority tonight, all UK airports have been given the green light to reopen, with UK Transport Secretary Lord Adonis confirming the same. The CAA said that'detailed consultation' with experts to assess the tolerance of planes to the ash cloud had proved 'positive'.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK's independent specialist regulator with oversight of aviation safety, today issued the following statement tonight, in conjunction with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).

"The new guidance allows a phased reintroduction from 2200 tonight of much of the airspace which is currently closed due to the volcanic ash plume over the UK.

"There will continue to be some 'no fly zones' where concentrations of ash are at levels unsafe for flights to take place, but very much smaller than the present restrictions. Furthermore, the Met Office advises that the 'no fly zones' do not currently cover the UK. Making sure that air travellers can fly safely is the CAA's overriding priority.

"The CAA has drawn together many of the world's top aviation engineers and experts to find a way to tackle this immense challenge, unknown in the UK and Europe in living memory. Current international procedures recommend avoiding volcano ash at all times.

"In this case, owing to the magnitude of the ash cloud, its position over Europe and the static weather conditions most of the EU airspace had to close and aircraft could not be physically routed around the problem area as there was no space to do so.

"We had to ensure, in a situation without precedent, that decisions made were based on a thorough gathering of data and analysis by experts. This evidence-based approach helped to validate a new standard that is now being adopted across Europe.

"The major barrier to resuming flights has been understanding tolerance levels of aircraft to ash. Manufacturers have now agreed increased tolerance levels in low-ash density areas."