Airlines losing faith in methodology for closing airspace: IACA

IACA called (11-May-2010) on the European Commission to show leadership and push for an immediate upgrade to the present procedures for opening and closing airspace based on volcanic ash concentrations. According to IACA, the current Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) system is based on theoretical models and needs fine-tuning against verified data. It is producing conservative predictions, resulting in severe and sometimes unnecessary disruption for airlines and their passengers. IACA argues that an upgraded system is vital for keeping the no-fly zones to the absolute minimum. [more]