The International Air Transport Association (IATA) criticised what it called a “lack of leadership” by European governments faced with a shutdown in the skies on an unparalleled scale caused by high-altitude ash billowing from an erupting Icelandic volcano then drifting south and east.
Such was the sense of crisis in London that the British government said it was deploying the Royal Navy to bring people home, as the National Air Traffic Service announced that British airspace, closed since last Thursday, would remain closed until early Tuesday.
Most of Asia’s largest carriers continued to cancel their flights into Europe, adding to the financial cost of the chaos, which one industry group estimated at $2 billion and climbing.
French, German and Dutch airspace also remained closed, although several major airports in southern Europe — notably Rome, Athens and Madrid — were operating. Airports in the Czech Republic were set to open at noon local time, authorities there said, according to the Czech news agency, and news reports said that the neighbouring country of Slovakia were allowing flights over the eastern part of the country.
Aviation authorities in Hungary announced they had reopened the country’s airspace for aircraft flying at 24,600 feet or higher.
“We are far enough into this crisis to express our dissatisfaction on how governments have managed it, with no risk assessment, no consultation and no leadership,” said Giovanni Bisignani, the director general and chief executive of IATA: “This crisis is costing airlines at least $200 million a day in lost revenues and the European economy has already suffered billions of dollars in lost business.
“In the face of such dire economic consequences, it is incredible that Europe’s transports ministers have taken five days to organise a first teleconference.”
That ministerial meeting was to take place on Monday in Brussels, with some ministers able to participate only by video-conferencing because they were grounded at home.
“The ash attack has already affected the travel plans of 8 million passengers in Europe and around the world,” the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, a consultancy based in Sydney, said on Monday on its website. “The total cost for the aviation industry (airlines, airports, suppliers, freight operators, handlers, etc) could be well over $2 billion.”
Several European airlines, the centre said, were already considering emergency layoffs. Airports in much of northern and central Europe stayed shut, or offered limited service.
Bisignani told reporters in Paris that he hoped the chaos will lead to a new momentum on discussions about a unified air traffic control system in Europe, known as the Single European Sky, which have been going on for 20 years.