According to the Figaro, the ash from the volcano in Iceland that has already canceled fights around the UK has now reached the French shore, with clouds reaching as high as 16km (10 miles). No one is sure how long this could last, especially if subsequent eruptions occur:
Les premières poussières volcaniques islandaises ont atteint la pointe nord de la France jeudi en début de soirée, vers 20 heures. Vendredi matin, le bord de ce gigantesque nuage se trouvait en principe au-dessus du bassin parisien. «On ne pourra pas le voir sur les images satellites quoi qu’il arrive, car ces particules sont trop fines», prévient Eric Mas, chef de l’information chez Meteo Consult. Seule certitude, aucune pluie de haute altitude n’est prévue pour la journée de vendredi, ce qui évitera la retombée massive de ces particules en suspension à plus de 6 kilomètres d’altitude. «On en retrouvera peut-être un peu sur les voitures ou les balcons, mais ce n’est même pas sûr», poursuit-il.
Figaro gives specific flight disruption information for France, with 23 French airports closed until at least 8pm tonight.
The BBC reports on flight delays below. If you have flights planned to the UK, Ireland, certainly Iceland and continental Europe, it is strongly recommended you check with your airline company for up-to-date information:
Nearly all flights across the UK are to remain grounded on Friday, with the air traffic control body Nats having extended its restrictions on UK airspace until at least 0100BST on Saturday.
However, a small number of services will be permitted into and out of Northern Ireland and western Scotland.
Flights out of Frankfurt, Germany’s busiest airport, have been temporarily halted because of the conditions, joining 10 other German airports. Dozens of airports in France and Poland have also been closed.According to the European airspace controller Eurocontrol, about 17,000 flights are expected to be cancelled on Friday.. Shares fell as investors worried about the impact the problems could have on the airline industry.