Trains, Planes And Ferries: Who is Doing What In The No Fly Zone?

Article Written By: katieb

One would expect that the eruption of Eyjafyoll and its travel-paralyzing ash cloud would have by now had some sobering effect on the attitudes of low-budget airlines and airport overseers. The recent criticism of Nats, the airspace authority and of the Civil Aviation Authority are made with what appears to be an imagined sense of judgement, as if airline executives reach their position with the innate knowledge that the Met Office is otherwise required to search for.

It seems counter-intuitive to imagine that it would be beneficial for a government agency to be somehow drawing out the situation, instead of in fact having had to choose between what is safe and what is economically sound.

Conversely, reports from oft-neglected transport providers have been positive in the extreme; so far more than three major ferry companies – whose passenger totals waxed fivefold during the no-fly sanction – have announced overwhelming customer satisfaction with their services, and a general attitude of disbelief from passengers who had not considered this option due to outdated misconceptions of the service.

Rail networks too have picked up the slack, providing extended services across the country in a bid to connect stranded passengers. In this light, the invective against the government authorities seems to be a natural by-product of the unfortunate, but essentially unavoidable sanction on airspace.

So, what accusations were levelled against these authorities? A spokesman for BA had the following to say: ...it is clear there is too much reliance on the theoretical model of ash spread produced by a single body: the London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre.” Instead of relying on theoretical models and highly specified organizations monitoring volcanic activity, would it be more sensible to make safety decisions based on the beliefs of itchy airline executives desperate to claw back lost revenue? Probably not.

The rail industry's unexpected flourishing in this time is purely incidental; despite great pressure, some of the largest providers have been receiving an increase in passenger satisfaction, even while serving the air-travel industry, such as trains to Manchester and Liverpool, allowing for easier flight connections.

The Civil Aviation Authority's defence shows best that the airlines' damning of its decisions is more finger-pointing than objective criticism. Answering to Richard Branson's declaration that the closing of Manchester Airport a second time was 'a joke', a CAA spokesman was puzzled by the contradictory fact that representatives from the entrepreneur's airline had attended the conference on the agreed restrictions, and were given ample freedom to work alongside the authority in the road to recovery.

The blame-hurling can be understood also in the light of poor holiday flight bookings in this year's first quarter so far.

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