It seems Eyjafjallajokull not only erupted itself, but also blew much of the world air travel economy out of proportion as major airlines worldwide struggled to find their feet under mounds of ash. The volcano erupted last Wednesday near Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik. Most Northern European airlines had to delay and close down flights completely.
According to msn.com, the volcano is the only trauma since the airline effects of Sept. 11 with such heightened flight disruption.
Except for emergency situations, all airports in England, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Belgium were closed down, as well as many in France.
According to “The New York Times” interviewee, Peter Morris, chief economist from Ascend, “half a million to a million people’s travel will be disrupted in the U.K. over a couple of days.”
With ash reaching heights of air travel, precautions were taken to limit the negative effects caused by the ash on engine and other mechanical parts. Flights in and out of the U.S were also cancelled, such as from Chicago, New York and other major airports.
As airlines get up and running and routines get back to normal, anxious businesses and families are yet to be completely settled as concern with the possibility of future eruptions looms. While recovery was relatively quick considering the span of the volcano, future activity could detriment the world’s economy through interrupted business travel, tourism, similar airline delays and the like, msn.com reported.
While Northern Europe is certainly feeling the dramatic, physical results of the eruption, there is no question that concerns have migrated to Northwestern. Emily Muilenberg, a junior who had been studying in England this semester, returned to the U.S. this week but only after being stranded for five days due to airline delays.
As of now, most European countries suffering from airline cancellations are back on schedule with only a few delays.
