As criticism mounts over the alarmist behaviour based largely on bureaucratic processes, in turn based on computer modelling, it turns out that UK airspace was never legally closed following the Icelandic dust cloud !!!
Criticism is also growing in Sweden and Norway for blindly following UK Met Office projections without confirming them by measurement.
The Financial Times reports:
The National Air Traffic Services body has appeared to be the one legally responsible for closing Britain’s airspace. This is because NATS, which provides airlines with air traffic control services, made the first announcements on April 14 about airspace restrictions after the cloud of ash began drifting over the UK. On Sunday night, it announced that restrictions would be in place until at least 7pm, Monday . NATS is not a regulator, however, and cannot legally close airspace. That power lies with the Civil Aviation Authority, which regulates aviation on behalf of the Department of Transport. So far, the CAA has not used this power. “At no point has UK airspace been shut. It’s legally open,” a CAA spokesman said.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/39cbf638-4b45-11df-a7ff-00144feab49a.html
Tags: Air Travel, Alarmism, Big Brother, computer modelling, Economy, Science Policy, Technology
The k2p blog 