New volcanic ash flight ban

Ireland ordered a new flight ban for six hours today as ash from an Icelandic volcano drifted towards it, while a small section of British airspace was closed

Ireland ordered a new flight ban for six hours today as ash from an Icelandic volcano drifted towards it, while a small section of British airspace was closed.

The new alerts should not disrupt aircraft overflying Ireland from Britain or Europe, or southern British airports including Heathrow, Europe's busiest air hub, authorities in the two countries said.

Airspace across Europe was closed down for up to a week last month after the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull, but was re-opened after emergency talks between European governments, airlines and regulators.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said all flights into and out of Ireland would be grounded from 0600 GMT (11.30 am IST) to midday (5.00 pm) today due to the dangers posed by the new volcano cloud. "Ireland falls within the predicted area of ash concentrations that exceed acceptable engine manufacturer tolerance levels," said an IAA authority.

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