THE IRISH Aviation Authority has lost about €8 million due to recent air traffic disruption caused by volcanic ash from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
Figures released by the authority yesterday revealed that 4,743 flights were cancelled to and from Ireland during the period April 15th to May 10th.
In addition, an estimated 530,000 passengers experienced severe delays.
In Europe, 104,000 flights were cancelled. The International Air Transport Association has estimated that airlines lost €1.5 billion during April alone.
North America transatlantic routes account for more than 75 per cent of the authority’s revenue, and these routes were “severely impacted” during the period in question, the authority said. Aircraft travelling between Europe and the US were forced to take longer and more expensive routes north of Iceland and as far south as Spain to reach their destinations.
Commercial over-flights of Irish airspace were down 12.9 per cent on April 2009. North Atlantic flights were also down a record 15.1 per cent on the previous year.
The aviation authority said on Wednesday that all Irish airports would remain open “until further notice”. The authority will make a statement and update its website if any volcanic ash threat to Irish airspace emerges today or in the coming days.
In its daily update yesterday, the European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol said areas of high-ash concentration at high altitude had dispersed.
It said remaining areas of high-ash concentration at lower altitudes were “well clear” of routes used by European flights.
Yesterday’s early morning trans-atlantic flights operated normally, and the same was expected for westbound flights later in the day.
According to forecasts, the areas of higher-ash concentration are not expected to cause any immediate disruption to European air traffic.
It emerged yesterday that the ash cloud has ended the transit of thousands of US troops through Shannon airport until further notice. This follows the sole carrier of US troops going through Shannon, Omni Air, relocating its transit base to Oslo in response to the disruption caused by the cloud.
The decision by the carrier is having an immediate economic impact on Ireland’s midwest, with Shannon-based catering firm EFG Ltd confirming yesterday that it is to let go 30 of its 75 employees on a temporary basis.
Prior to the disruption caused by the volcano, about 20,000 troops were going through Shannon each month this year.
The managing director of EFG Ltd, Ean Malone, said providing in-flight meals to Omni Air accounts for 35 per cent of its revenues, and said the airline had confirmed its relocation to Oslo until further notice.
4,743
The number of flights cancelled to and from Ireland during the period April 15th to May 10th
€1.5bn
The estimated loss by airlines in April, according to the International Air Transport Association.