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Update on European air traffic situation - 10.30 CET 19 Apr 2010               

EUROCONTROL expects between 8,000-9,000 flights to take place today in European airspace. On a normal Monday, we would expect 28,000.

At the current time, air traffic control services are not being provided to civil aircraft in the major part of European airspace. This includes Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, parts of France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, northern Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, parts of Ukraine and the UK.

In some of these areas the upper airspace has been made available, depending on the observed and forecasted area of possible ash contamination. However, it is difficult to access this airspace as in most cases the surrounding area is not available for flights.

Approximately 30% of the total number of flights are expected to take place today in Europe, representing 50% of the total continent area. Southern Europe - including Portugal, Spain, parts of Italy and France, the Balkan area, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, as well as parts of northern Europe (Norway and parts of Sweden) are currently open to civil traffic.

Update on European air traffic situation - 12.30 CET 18 Apr 2010               

EUROCONTROL expects approximately 4,000 flights to take place today in European airspace. On a normal Sunday, we would expect 24,000. By the end of today, we expect that more than 63,000 flights in total will have been cancelled since Thursday 15 April. A summary table of the impact on flights is below.

At the current time, air traffic control services are not being provided to civil aircraft in the major part of European airspace. This includes Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, most of France, most of Germany, Hungary, Ireland, northern Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, north Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the UK. In some of these areas the upper airspace has been made available, depending on the observed and forecasted area of possible ash contamination. However, it is difficult to access this airspace as in most cases the surrounding area is not available for flights.

Southern Europe, including parts of Spain, Portugal, the southern Balkan area, southern Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey remain open and flights are taking place in these areas.

Update on European air traffic situation - 10.30 CET 17 Apr 2010               

EUROCONTROL expects approximately 6,000 flights to take place today in European airspace. On a normal Saturday, we would expect 22,000. Yesterday, 16 April, there were 10,400 flights compared to the normal 28,000.

Cloud Map April 17^th  (Red stands for ash concentration btw 0-20,000ft, green btw 20-35,000ft)

No landings and take offs are possible for civilian aircraft across most of northern and central Europe . This includes Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Northern France, most of Germany, Hungary, Ireland, northern Italy, the Netherlands, southern Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. In some of these areas the upper airspace has been made available, depending on the observed and forecasted area of ash contamination. However, it is difficult to access this airspace as in most cases the surrounding area is not available for flights.

Southern Europe, including Spain, the southern Balkan area, southern Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey remain open and flights are taking place in these areas.

Approximately 600 trans-Atlantic flights take place each day, 300 in each direction. Of the 300 flights that would usually arrive in Europe, 73 flights have arrived in Europe this morning.

Forecasts suggest that the cloud of volcanic ash will persist and that the impact will continue for at least the next 24 hours (see map attached).

EUROCONTROL, the air navigation service providers and the airlines are working closely together to ensure that whenever airspace becomes available, even if it is only for a short time, flights are able to take place in the most efficient and safe manner.

Latest update on European air traffic situation - 09.00 CET 16 Apr 2010          

Eurocontrol (the European organisation for the safety of Air Navigation) expects around 11,000 flights to take place today in European airspace. On a normal day, we would expect 28,000. Yesterday, 15 April, there were 20,334 flights.

Approximately 600 trans-Atlantic flights take place each day, 300 in each direction. Of the 300 flights that would usually arrive in Europe in the morning, today, between 100 and 120 arrived in Europe.

Airspace is currently not available for operation of civilian aircraft in the following countries/areas: Ireland, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, the north of France including all Paris airports, parts of Germany including Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin and the airspace around Frankfurt, parts of Poland including Warsaw airport.

Forecasts suggest that the cloud of volcanic ash is continuing to move east and south-east and that the impact will continue for at least the next 24 hours.

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