EU proposes new rules on avoiding volcanic ash

Daniel Hoeltgen, spokesman for the European aviation safety agency, said the new solution adopts the US practice of imposing a 120-mile (190-kilometer) no-fly buffer zone for all aircraft in the vicinity of any visible ash plume. This no-fly zone is hundreds of miles (kilometers) smaller than the one used now in Europe.

Last month, a large part of European airspace was closed for five days when ash from the Icelandic volcano drifted over northern and western parts of the continent. It forced the cancellation of 100,000 flights, stranded millions of passengers and caused losses of over $2 billion to the airlines.

Flying directly through the plume of a volcanic eruption can damage jet engines, block a plane's sensor instruments and cause other damage. But there is scant evidence so far that the abrasive volcanic ash particles can cause damage it they are dispersed by the wind.

A new eruption from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokul volcano disrupted air traffic between North America and Europe again over the weekend. Ash also floated over the Iberian Peninsula and other parts of southern Europe, eventually touching the North African coast in Morocco before starting to disperse; Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.