# UK Airspace shutdown



## Lanason (Sep 1, 2009)

The UK shuts down all Airports due to Volcanic Ash in the skys - my family are due to fly home on Tuesday - I wonder if they will make it:confused2:


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

aqua said:


> The UK shuts down all Airports due to Volcanic Ash in the skys - my family are due to fly home on Tuesday - I wonder if they will make it:confused2:




It could be worse.. they could be flying out from the UK to here.

My brother and his family are stuck in Florida until Wednesday adding on 6 days to their holiday.. insurance doesn't cover it.. so they are now in Florida with no holiday insurance as that has run out plus the insurance wont pay out for hotels etc and the spending money has run out scenario. Brother and sister in law should start work on Monday morning but they wont be home until Thursday so they have lost 4 days work each.

Volcanic ash, bank closure, Bijorg... that country has a lot to answer for


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

aqua said:


> The UK shuts down all Airports due to Volcanic Ash in the skys - my family are due to fly home on Tuesday - I wonder if they will make it:confused2:


Even if they were to re-open the airports tomorrow, the back-up of people waiting for flights out is going to take "a few" days to clear.

At least they have some options - fly somewhere not affected by the dust cloud and then train it back to the UK. (Eurostar are laying on extra trains to try and handle some of the backlog.) Trying to get back from the US is a whole different story...
Cheers,
Bev


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## Lanason (Sep 1, 2009)

Bevdeforges said:


> Even if they were to re-open the airports tomorrow, the back-up of people waiting for flights out is going to take "a few" days to clear.
> 
> At least they have some options - fly somewhere not affected by the dust cloud and then train it back to the UK. (Eurostar are laying on extra trains to try and handle some of the backlog.) Trying to get back from the US is a whole different story...
> Cheers,
> Bev


I think they are quite happy to stay a few days extra in Egypt :clap2:


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

aqua said:


> I think they are quite happy to stay a few days extra in Egypt :clap2:


I know how they feel. I once was "forced" to spend an extra day in Tahiti due to an airline strike. 

But this little volcano is still spewing stuff into the air - and last time it did this, it continued for 2 years. That might get to be a bit of an inconvenience...
Cheers,
Bev


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## helloegypt (Oct 6, 2009)

Hi all,
I have to flight to Milan tomorrow at 12.00 from Cairo with Egypt Air...
Milan airports are closed till this evening at 8.00pm...
What do you suggest I should do?
Call Egypt Air?
Go to the airport in any case?
Do you think I can be refunded for the price of my ticket if I do not take off?
Thank you SO MUCH for your help!
L.


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## GM1 (Sep 30, 2008)

More Cairo flights halted over volcano
By Adel Moustafa
Saturday, April 17, 2010

Egypt's national carrier EgyptAir and a number of foreign airlines Saturday suspended their flights to Brussels, London, Vienna and some other European destinations due to the ashes spewn by the Iceland volcano, a Cairo Airport official said Saturday.


"The German, Austrian, Czech, French, Dutch and Italian airlines suspended 19 flights to and from European destinations due to Iceland volcano. EgyptAir cancelled 13 flights to London, Düsseldorf, Zurich, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Paris, Geneva, Munchin amd Brussels, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome" the official added.
He said that it was likely more flights would be suspended as the volcano showed no sign of subsiding.
"EgyptAir turned to changing the models of planes travelling to European cities to get more passengers as the travellers who asked to travel to other European capitals could go on board," the company said Saturday.
He pointed out that EgyptAir set up a call centre for queries on the suspended flights.
"Anyone who needs to get full information about his flight can call *1717 or 090070000.* It's working 24/7," the official said.
With the source of the ash, a volcano in Iceland, still spewing smoke into the atmosphere, there are already fears the chaos in European airports could go on for days if not weeks.
Some experts said there could be disruption for six months as a result of contaminated air drifting over northern Europe.
The continuing travel disruptions mean further loss of trade and tourism for Europe as it struggles to emerge from recession. The airline industry alone is losing as much as $200 million a day, according to the International Air Transport.
Ali Qotb of Egypt's General Meteorological Authority, meanwhile, said there was no impact of the volcano on north Africa and Egypt, adding that the wind was going into the direction of west Europe. 
"We are safe from the Iceland volcano ashes. However, no one can predict when it would end," Qotb said Saturday. 
About 16,000 flights are expected to be canceled in European airspace Saturday because of the cloud of ash from the Icelandic volcano, European air traffic authorities said Saturday.
Eurocontrol said it expected about 6,000 flights to take off Saturday, compared with the normal 22,000.
On Friday about 10,400 flights took place in Europe, compared with the normal 29,000 - meaning more than 18,000 flights were canceled for the day.

source: http://www.egyptiangazette.net/news-6704-More Cairo flights halted over volcano.html


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## DeadGuy (Jan 22, 2010)

Hi there,

It's kinda hard to suggest anything to honest, specially considering the fact that most of the European airports are closed :s.

But as far as I know, there are few EgyptAir flights departing from Egypt to European airports daily (About 3 flights a day, that's what a local Egyptian news website -El Youm 7- said anyway, Frankfurt's flight landed in Budapest airport, Dusseldorf's flight landed in Vienna airport and Berlin's flight landed in Milano airport (That's Italy helloegypt), but as I said, it was a local Egyptian news website, so that means about 10% accuracy for the news ) So I think anyone NEEDING to be in another country right now should be looking for an alternative destination that's available right now, if possible anyway, not sure what's the priorities for the companies to change your flight, but mostly money would always do its magic when it comes to EgyptAir as usual.

And the refund thing....... Seriously doubt it :confused2:

Good luck to all of you


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

DeadGuy said:


> Hi there,
> 
> It's kinda hard to suggest anything to honest, specially considering the fact that most of the European airports are closed :s.
> 
> ...



Most airlines will re-issue a ticket/refund. Legally they have to refund the airport tax that you pay if you do not use a ticket.


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## DeadGuy (Jan 22, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> Most airlines will re-issue a ticket/refund. Legally they have to refund the airport tax that you pay if you do not use a ticket.


Well, lets hope they do, but personally considering how big the situation is, I believe that most of the companies will at least make it hard to get a refund, specially if they gathered and decided to blame it on Iceland's volcano, just as a diplomatic way to say "It's not our fault" 

Hope everyone make it to their destinations though, couple hundred pounds would do nothing if someone lost his/her job or something like that cause of this mess :s

Good luck to everyone


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## ASAMY (Apr 9, 2010)

It is the same problem here. I have friends who couldn't go back to Egypt from Detroit airport and the flight was postponed to next Tuesday

I hope that they will be able to fly at that time


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## helloegypt (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm just back from the Egypt Air offices.
They changed my flight for next week, and I also got a business class seat on the way back, I didn't have to pay anything.
That's good, even if I have to wait few more days to be there!!!


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## Lanason (Sep 1, 2009)

Families flight to Heathrow cancelled at the Airport this afternoon - even though the call centre said it was going and the Departures Board said "scheduled"
rebooked for the 2nd May - I'm happy they are staying longer 

My 18 year old son wants to fly to Milan and then "blag it" home via any form of transport he can find - my wife is not happy with the idea. I think it's great - can't do him any harm, may even give him another "life experience"


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

aqua said:


> Families flight to Heathrow cancelled at the Airport this afternoon - even though the call centre said it was going and the Departures Board said "scheduled"
> rebooked for the 2nd May - I'm happy they are staying longer
> 
> My 18 year old son wants to fly to Milan and then "blag it" home via any form of transport he can find - my wife is not happy with the idea. I think it's great - can't do him any harm, may even give him another "life experience"


Where was it going to?
The UK is not allowing planes in before 1am tomorrow...


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> Where was it going to?
> The UK is not allowing planes in before 1am tomorrow...


KLM are allowing some planes into Amsterdam,


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