Rule change

The United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has begun permitting aircrafts to fly through higher concentrations of ash for limited periods of time.

The new rules, which came into effect at 11 a.m. GMT, create a "Time-Limited Zone" in which aviation officials would temporarily allow flights through higher ash densities than were previously considered safe. The rules were agreed on after discussions between regulators and manufacturers, the CAA said.

Andrew Haines, CAA chief executive, said the danger ash poses to airplanes should "not be underestimated," but that "unprecedented situations" demanded a new approach.

"The world's top scientists tell us that we must not simply assume the effects of this volcano will be the same as others elsewhere," he said. "The answer can only come, therefore, from aircraft and engine manufacturers establishing what level of ash their products can safely tolerate."

Proof of safety

In order to operate in the new zone, airlines must prove to regulators that their plane engines can handle the higher ash levels with confirmation from their manufacturers.

The only airline to fulfill those requirements so far has been British carrier Flybe.

Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands temporarily closed parts of their airspace on Monday because of a new ash cloud drifting toward continental Europe from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajoekull.

Airlines sharply criticized the airspace closures, with Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary saying it was "ridiculous that the flight plans of millions of air passengers across Europe are being disrupted on a daily basis by an outdated, inappropriate and imaginary computer-generated model."

Airlines have lost millions in revenue because of tight flight restrictions across Europe, and many have welcomed the UK's more flexible approach.

acb/dpa/AP/AFP
Editor: Martin Kuebler