The most active volcano in Iceland has erupted forming an enormous cloud of ash described as “unpredictable” that will almost certainly disrupt air traffic between the UK and Spain at the end of this week.
The Barcelona Football team, due to play in the Champions League Final on Saturday, is planning to travel to the UK today in order to avoid possible disruption or delays.
Most air traffic to and from Scottish airports has been cancelled today. The ash cloud is expected to reach Spain by Thursday.
The eruption in the Grimsvotn crater is not expected to cause the same level of chaos for air travelers as the Eyjafjallajokull last year, partly because the ash cloud is smaller and partly because the authorities have decided to “play the situation by ear” rather than introduce a blanket ban on air travel. Some 8 million air travelers were affected by last year’s ash cloud disruption and some 10,000 flights were cancelled. However, anyone planning to travel this week is advised to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport.
