Airports closed, flights diverted
Posted by JAC on 3/21/2010, 8:44 am
http://www.flugstodir.is/?PageID=4&NewsID=1640

The Icelandic public radio station RUV reported that three Iceland-bound Icelandair flights, out of Boston, Orlando and Seattle, had been ordered to turn back to the United States.

"Ash has already begun to fall in Fljotshlid and people in the surrounding area have reported seeing bright lights emanating from the glacier," RUV said on its website.

A state of emergency has been declared in communities near the 100 square mile glacier, however no damage or casualties have been reported so far.

"We do not at this moment know the full extent of the eruption but a team is flying over the site now to evaluate the situation," said said Vidir Reynisson, the department manager for the Icelandic Civil Protection Department.

The Icelandic Civil Aviation Administration has ordered aircraft to stay 120 nautical miles away from the volcano area, essentially closing it off.

Three Icelandair flights from the U.S. - departing from Seattle; Boston; and Orlando, Florida - bound for Keflavik airport in Reykjavik were turned back to Boston.

All domestic flights were also canceled until further notice, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service reported.

Keflavik international airport, Reykjavik airport and Akureyri airport are all closed due to the possibility of ash getting into engines of the planes.

The only airport that is open is Egilsstadir airport in the eastern part of the country as a back up international airport.

Gudjon Arngrimsson, a spokesman for Icelandair, said he could not immediately comment.

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Eruption started at Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland - JAC, 3/21/2010, 8:09 am
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