One of first airlines to fly into Glasgow with school groups whose return flights from Iceland had been cancelled due to volcanic eruption.
Icelandair is to be one of the first airlines flying into the UK following the countrywide grounding of flights due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland. Three special flights on the company’s Boeing 757 aircraft will be operated today, Friday 16th April, from Keflavik International to Glasgow airport. The first two, FI 430 and FI 432 are estimated to arrive in Glasgow at 17:05. The third, FI 434 is estimated to arrive at 19:05.
One of the main reasons for operating these three flights is to get about 600 UK passengers whose return flights from Iceland have been cancelled back home. Among those are several large school groups who were in Iceland for educational geography field trips.
Hjorvar Saeberg Hognason, General Manager – Icelandair UK said “We knew that we had several school groups in Iceland whose return flights had been cancelled due to the eruption. We were in touch with all of them and while they were in good spirits and even enjoying their extra time in Iceland, we knew their parents were anxious and wanted to get them home.” He added “Keflavik International airport has remained open as the volcano is not a threat to the Reykjavik area, so when we received the confirmation that flights from Iceland could operate safely to Glasgow, we arranged for three aircraft to transport passengers whose flights had been cancelled.”
Icelandair is one of Iceland’s longest established companies, connecting the world and Iceland for over 70 years. Visit www.icelandair.co.uk or further information on the current flight schedule.
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You alluded that it was an Icelandair decision to commence a flight.
Now you present a ridiculous situation of some airline deciding on its own bat to fly without permission to its destination
If Eurocontrol say it ain’t safe, then no commercial airline would get permission to complete a flight to Glasgow, regardless of who controls Iceland airspace.
They would be ordered to back off, return home.
No wonder you were all too easily confused by the article.
Knowless, why do you have problems understanding that any flight route needs BOTH a start and an end point? You’re always talking about the end point, Glasgow. I’m talking about the Icelandic part of the route, and if Eurocontrol has any say about that. It’s ISAVIA and ICAA who control that, and not Eurocontrol in the first place.
Gray, Germany says:
April 19, 2010 at 9:47 am
Well, where does Eurocontrol fit in in this picture? Looks like Icelandic airports and airspace are controlled and regulated by Icelandic agencies in the first place.
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??
Because the flight route was to Glasgow, that is Eurocontrol’s zone of control.
They decide what is safe or not. They decided it was a safe route on the day.
@Gray – There were 6 flights by Icelandair to Trondheim, Mid Norway yesterday – a total of 1000 travellers came across.
Today there is said to be a total of 200 of 270 domestic flights in Norway today – “almost a normal day” – probably zero tomorrow. I have at least seen one plane close over my head today.
I think those who work with this in Iceland, communicate and take care of this in a secure way as possible. We all take a risk when we get born.
Knowless, pls notice this:
“ISAVIA handles almost all air navigation services provided by Iceland including an extensive responsibility for international services in the North Atlantic.
ISAVIA also has responsibility for the operation and development of fourteen airports with scheduled services in all parts of the country.
…
A reorganization of the Icelandic Civil Aviation Administration (ICAA) took effect at the end of 2006. This resulted in the establishment of a new limited shareholding company, ISAVIA, that took over responsibility for the provision of air navigation services and airport operations. The ICAA retains the responsibility for public policy and safety regulation as well as assuming a more assertive role in economic regulation.”
http://www.flugstodir.is/?PageID=104
Well, where does Eurocontrol fit in in this picture? Looks like Icelandic airports and airspace are controlled and regulated by Icelandic agencies in the first place.
“Icelandair would have had to receive permission from Eurocentral to resume a flight to Glasgow.”
Maybe it looks that way, even though the Brits never surrendered the sovereignty over their own airspace to Eurocontrol, and the Brits and possibly the Icelanders, too, still run their own flight control centers, afaik. So, the UK government can overrule Eurocontrol when it comes to decisions about its own airports and flight routes. And the same is true for Iceland. They may follow Eurocontrol’s decisions, but they aren’t obligated to do that. And it sure would be nice to know who makes the final decisions right now.
“Or maybe you have some issue with Eurocentral [sic!]?”
As I wrote above, Eurocontrol is a strange construction, an European agency that still isn’t trusted by most EU nations with powers over the airspace. When this was started, there were big plans for a centralized approach with a strong mandate, but it turned out that the governments didn’t really want to give up the ultimate control over there own airspace. So, indeed, this is an issue. And statements that paint a picture as if Eurocontrol is making the decisions, without noting that the governments can overrule this, sure look a bit spinny to me.
Gray, Germany says:
“it’s not silly to assume the ok came from the authorities at Keflavik International. And, judging from other reports, it seems national authorities have the final word about which airports have to be closed and which flightroutes are unsafe
Btw, scotish airports have shut down now, too.”
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No airline can decide for themselves.
Icelandair received confirmation that flights could resume to Glasgow.
I suppose the article assumes a level a rationality in the reader, it did not spell out what most people already would know from basic perusals of media reports, that Icelandair would have had to receive permission from Eurocentral to resume a flight to Glasgow.
And of course, an airline can decide for themselves if they want to avail of that clear internationaly recognised standard of permission or not.
And now Icelandair can not gain permission to fly to Glasgow even if they were keen to.
What is your point referring to Glasgow being now closed? Are you indulging in another silly allusion?
Or maybe you have some issue with Eurocentral?
“It is an internationally agreed decision.”
Well, the article doesn’t say so. It only cites the General Manager of Icelandair UK with “we received the confirmation that flights from Iceland could operate safely to Glasgow”. The way this story recounts the issue, imho it’s not silly to assume the ok came from the authorities at Keflavik International. And, judging from other reports, it seems national authorities have the final word about which airports have to be closed and which flightroutes are unsafe
Btw, scotish airports have shut down now, too.
Gray, Germany says:
“Let’s hope this is really save and not another example of wantonly viking risktaking.”
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Indeed, a very silly comment.
It is not the sole prerogative of Icelandair to decide on the safety of the flight path.
It is an internationally agreed decision.
The Icelandic initiative and inguinity is really incomparasble.
Let’s hope this is really save and not another example of wantonly viking risktaking.