Volcanic Ash

May 7 2010 by Bryson Forbes

volcanic-ash.jpgIt's certainly been yet another interesting period for the travel industry with the disruptions caused by Iceland's Eyjafjallajoumlkull volcano. (I can't pronounce it either.) Just when you think you've dealt with every type of scenario, a new issue seems always to be just around the corner. This isn't the first time, however, that volcanoes have wreaked havoc: in 1902, a much worse volcanic cloud hit Martinique, killing 29,000 people. Two more recent examples occurred in 1982 over Indonesia and in Alaska just seven years later, and both of these resulted in airline engine seizure.. Fortunately, the two jumbo jets affected by these volcanoes were able to restart their engines, but not before losing 25,000 feet of altitude at a frightening rate.

Analysts have estimated that the airline industry lost upwards of $2 billion USD in revenue because of Eyjafjallajoumlkull. In Canada alone, Air Canada and Air Transat lost a combined $4 million USD a day as more than 36 flights (representing more than 6,500 passengers) were grounded from Air Canada alone. Many hotels and European railways, on the other hand, received an unexpected bump in overnight guests and passengers as those stranded either waited for the skies to open up or tried getting to their destination on the ground.

If you are like me, you were left scratching your head about how a volcano in Iceland could have such a dramatic impact worldwide. It turns out the ash clouds were hovering over very busy air space--the well-travelled transatlantic air corridor.

A volcanic ash cloud is one nasty bugger. Filled with pulverized rock and glass from the violent eruption, a plane travelling through one of these clouds is in a very dangerous predicament . Not only are there concerns about engine failure, and visibility, but damage to landing gear, communications and sensory equipment is also possible. .

One of the most significant issues that affected hundreds of thousands of people was the frustration of stranded passengers worldwide. Most media coverage focused on those stuck at one of dozens of airports around the globe. For example, I saw one report where people were verbally assaulting the poor airline rep who had the unenviable task of announcing yet another day of cancellations. I kept thinking...do these people really want to risk their lives by flying into something as perilous as volcanic ash?

I guess it's human nature, but for some, the situation represented a glass half full and ultimately became a stroke of great fortune. A woman with whom I had a scheduled meeting got "stuck" in France with her fiancee for weeks. Quelle horreur ! I called to try and reschedule our meeting but was informed that she and her mate were having the time of her lives Good on them!

Have you heard of any feel good stories that has come out of this bad situation? If so, please share with us.

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