Five Days on, Volcanic Ash Cloud Still Wreaking Havoc

Travel Blog  •  Eva Holland  •  04.19.10 | 1:33 PM ET

The air travel crisis touched off by a volcanic eruption in Iceland has continued to worsen since we first wrote about it last week.

The Globe and Mail reports that 750,000 passengers are stranded across Europe, while airline losses from the travel shutdown have surpassed $1 billion. The New York Times outlines rising industry anger against European governments’ handling of the crisis; one aviation executive described the response as: “no risk assessment, no consultation and no leadership.” Britain, meanwhile, is taking action: After a failed civilian effort to rescue stranded Britons from the French side of the Channel, three Royal Navy ships are being dispatched to serve as emergency passenger ferries instead.

Andrew Sullivan has posted a chart showing the emissions savings created by a few days of grounded flights. Our own columnist Eric Weiner offers seven travel lessons from the crisis. And finally, check out these wild NASA shots of the ash plume, courtesy of Twitter user @stefanthepilot.

Tags: Air Travel, Volcanoes, Europe, News and Briefs

Eva Holland is co-editor of World Hum. She is a former associate editor at Up Here and Up Here Business magazines, and a contributor to Vela. She's based in Canada's Yukon territory.


No comments for Five Days on, Volcanic Ash Cloud Still Wreaking Havoc.

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.