THE IRISH Aviation Authority says it does not expect any flights from airports in the Republic to be cancelled over the next two days despite ongoing volcanic activity in Iceland.
While a spokesman for the authority said it could not predict the situation beyond the next 36 to 48 hours, Met Éireann said the outlook beyond that was good.
“We don’t see any difficulties in the coming days as the weather forecast looks favourable,” said the authority spokesman.
“The volcano is still active and that in itself is a cause of concern but so far the outlook is good. The situation is being constantly monitored,” he said.
His comments came after revised safety zones in regard to the volcanic ash cloud were agreed by aviation authorities, airlines and aircraft manufacturers.
The new safety zones, which were introduced yesterday, will reduce flight restrictions, while maintaining safety as the main priority, the authority said.
Since the beginning of the crisis, extensive discussions have taken place between airlines, engine manufacturers and international regulatory authorities.
In a joint agreement with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the Irish Aviation Authority said it was satisfied that the revised zones will reduce restrictions.
The decision followed the grounding of 1,000 flights in parts of northern Europe yesterday because prevailing winds pushed a cloud of volcanic ash across parts of the region.
David Rogers of Met Éireann said last night that the outlook until at least Friday is good.
“The data from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in London indicates that there’s a general reduction in ash concentration and that skies should be clear until Friday in western European airspace,” he said.