No closures anticipated in Irish airspace: Aviation Authority

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has said there will be no closures in Irish airspace as a plume of volcanic ash makes its way towards western Europe.

Based on the latest information at 6am from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) in London, all Irish airports are to remain open, but some services may be affected by restrictions imposed by other European service providers.

Already, Aer Lingus, Ryanair and easyJet have cancelled flights in and out of Scotland until at least lunchtime today.

Passengers planning to travel by air over the coming days are advised to regularly check their airline websites and the IAA website in advance of going to the airport. Passengers should also check the status of the airports they are travelling to.

"The IAA is actively monitoring the situation and is in contact with the VAAC, Met Éireann, Department of Transport, airlines, airports, and adjacent and European air traffic service providers," the authority said today.

The next update will be at 3pm.

The Aviation Authority said that areas of high density ash will be identified using information provided by the UK Met Office’s VAAC, whose data is based on information provided from the source of the volcano, satellite, and weather balloons, as well as ground based instrumentation such as radar.

Information on the high and medium density zones will be communicated to the aviation industry by means of a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and SIGMET (significant meteorological information.)

Any Irish airline wishing to operate in areas of high density ash will need to have a safety case accepted by the IAA. A safety case sets out the measures airlines will put in place to mitigate the risk of flying through ash. They also include input from aircraft and engine manufacturers.