Tuesday, 20 April 2010

BBC News - UK airports set to reopen

breaking news

All UK airports can reopen from 2200 BST on Tuesday, the Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has said.

Lord Adonis made the statement after consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority and a reassessment of the risk to aircraft from volcanic ash.

Some restrictions will remain in place, but they will be much smaller than those enforced under the current ban.

Lord Adonis said after the ban was lifted it would be up to airlines to bring flight schedules back on track.

Dame Deirdre Hutton of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said there had been detailed consultation with experts to reassess the tolerance of planes to the ash cloud.

The CAA said it was a "situation without precedent" and that decisions had been made based on "thorough gathering of data and analysis".

"The major barrier to resuming flight has been understanding tolerance levels of aircraft to ash," the CAA said.

"Manufacturers have now agreed increased tolerance levels in low ash density areas."

Lord Adonis emphasised that safety remained paramount.

He said: "It is essential that we guarantee to the travelling public that the airlines are safe and that planes can safely fly."

Despite the lifting of the ban, it will be some time before flights return to normal.

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Good News at LAST!

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