As all of us have noted, and many SCCE members already have experienced, most of the European air space is closed for air traffic due to volcanic ashes in the atmosphere from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano on Iceland.

Yesterday, Monday April 19th, Estonian airspace remained closed while Swedish airspace was partially opened for traffic from/to west and north.

For updated air traffic information on the situation in Tallinn and Stockholm please use the following links:

Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport:

www.tallinn-airport.ee/eng

Stockholm-Arlanda Airport:

www.arlanda.se/en/

The volcanic ash cloud acts like any other cloud and its presence and extension over the European continent is depending on the winds and the intensity of the Icelandic volcano.

Decisions on what parts of the European airspace that will be or remain closed are based on reports and prognosis from VAAC - the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in England. For those interested, here is a direct link to VAAC England's prognosis maps (the most intensive part of the ash cloud is marked with a red borderline):

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/vaacuk_vag.html

Let's hope that Eyjafjallajökull calms down very quickly, and meanwhile, let's also hope for favourable winds blowing the ash cloud to uninhabited areas of our planet.

Sincerely,

Kristiina Sikk
SCCE Ombudsman