Volcano forces cancellation of flights to UK

An ash cloud from an Iceland volcanic eruption has moved across Europe. [Getty Images: Illustrative purposes only]

Emirates flights scheduled to leave Dubai on Thursday heading for the UK were hit by widespready cancellations following a volcano eruption in Iceland, according to a report by Arabian Business.

Aviation authorities in northern Europe, including Scotland, have been forced to close their airspace "until further notice", as an ash cloud from an Iceland volcanic eruption moves across Europe.

An Emirates spokesperson said the following flights had been cancelled: London Heathrow (EK29/030, EK03/04 and EK05/06), London Gatwick (EK09/10), Manchester (EK17/18 and EK19/20), Newcastle (EK35/36), Birmingham (EK39/40 and EK37/38), Glasgow (EK27/28).

A statement released by the airline added: "Emirates continues to liaise with the UK and European ATC authorities to monitor the movement of the ash cloud.

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"Emirates passengers in transit at Dubai today are being provided with hotel accommodation. Passengers that are yet to depart for UK-bound destinations from other Emirates gateways across the network are being contacted through the airline’s call centres and local offices."

It said: "The airline has set aside a dedicated check-in area at Emirates Terminal 3 Dubai to look after the requirements of passengers affected by the cancellation of its UK flights today."

The airline said it regreted any inconvenience caused and that the cancellation decision had been taken with the safety of passengers, crew and aircraft in mind.

Etihad Airways, the UAE national carrier, confirmed its flights had also been hit, adding that further details would be released soon.

The volcano, which is under a glacier in Iceland, erupted for the second time in less than a month, melting ice and spewing smoke and ash into the air.

Eight hundred residents were evacuated from around the site on Wednesday as water gushed down the mountainside causing flooding and rivers to rise by 3 metres.

Iceland's Meteorological Office said a plume of steam rose at least 8km (5 miles) into the air, the Associated Press reports.

Vulcanologists said a bigger worry is the volcano Katla, which in the past has erupted in tandem with this volcano called Eyjafjallajokull. A Katla eruption could cause widespread flooding and disrupt air traffic between Europe and North America.