A CLOUD of volcanic ash, drifting in the atmosphere from an eruption in Iceland, is causing chaos across Europe as flights are grounded due to the danger of dust and glass particles causing engine damage.
Airports across northern Europe suspended flights on Thursday, April 15, and weather experts are saying the eruption could rumble on for weeks or even months.
Worldwide airlines are said to be losing almost $200 million a day and up to 5 million travellers are stranded, unable to fly.
Hotels across the region are full to bursting with passengers whose flights have been cancelled and local airlines have also been forced to suspend flights into Europe as they wait to hear when the airports will re-open.
Some airlines have been experimenting with low and high level flights to miss the ash cloud, but even if flights were to be resumed immediately, which does not look likely, the industry would still take weeks to get back to normal with passengers stranded, planes in the wrong places and new passengers booked to fly daily.
A spokesman for Oman Air said: "We are doing everything we can to ensure our booked and stranded passengers are looked after in Muscat as well as overseas destinations. We want our passengers to rest assured that their safety is our utmost concern and we will do all we can to help alleviate the inconvenience caused by the disruption of their journey. We are closely monitoring the situation and hope to be returning to normal conditions as soon as possible."
And an Emirates spokesman added: "To date, more than 40,000 Emirates passengers have been impacted by the closure of airspace in the UK and most of Europe.
"Emirates is working on a contingency plan to ensure that we get flights and passengers moving as quickly as possible once airspace reopens. However, like every carrier, we cannot activate contingency plans until we receive clearance from European Air Traffic Control authorities. Until this happens, we cannot give firm timescales."