European low cost carrier EasyJet claims it is the first airline in the world to install on-board technology to help pilots detect the presence of volcanic ash in the air.
The move follows the chaos caused in Europe in April 2010 when dangerous ash from an Icelandic volcano crippled the European air network for almost a week as aircraft were grounded across the continent.
The technology, known as Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector (AVOID), was developed by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research and will be fitted to an Airbus 340 test aircraft within the next two months ahead of wider deployment across the fleet.
The system works in the same way as existing aircraft weather radars, allowing pilot to see ash particles up to 100km ahead and at altitudes between 5,000 and 50,000 feet.
Air space monitors on the ground will also be able to understand the movement of particles in affected areas and coordinate with traffic controllers to re-route aircraft.
The Civil Aviation Authority in the UK, one of the organisations which came in for fierce criticism during the protracted lockdown of air space in April, has welcomed the move by Easyjet, urging airlines to work together to develop methods of minimising disruption.
EasyJet says the ash debacle in April cost it around £50 million to £75 million.
I wonder how much weight that adds and how much extra cost there will be over time… and most importantly who will pick up the bill? *cough Passengers *cough
Realistically, are passengers still going to fly durring an eruption just because they can steer around the cloud? I wouldn’t take that chance, but I guess some people have different priorities.
EasyJet could have just bookmarked this site and saved a ton of money: http://isthevolcanoerupting.com/