Media

0815 - Sunday 9^th May 2010: Based on current information, Dublin, Cork, Waterford, and Shannon airports will be open until 0100 hrs local on Monday 10^th May. Donegal, Sligo, and Ireland West (Knock) airports will operate normally until 1500 hrs Sunday, when restrictions will apply, due to the high risk exclusion zone.

Restriction will also apply to Galway airport from 1600 hrs and to Kerry airport from 2200 hrs. The position regarding any further restrictions or changes will be confirmed at 1430 hrs today.

The volcano is still moderately active and by late Sunday, due to an expected change in wind direction, there is the risk that the plume may drift again over Irish airspace, and may affect Irish airports, especially on the West Coast.

The past number of days has seen the growth of a large cloud of high ash concentration off the west coast of Ireland, and this has caused difficulty for some trans-Atlantic operations. The cloud has drifted West, but has adopted a crescent pattern in an arc that runs from Northern Spain to Northern Scotland. This has caused some disruptions to flights to Northern Spain and other parts of the Iberian peninsula.

The Irish Aviation Authority is in constant contact with Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) and the Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU) at Eurocontrol, and is monitoring the path of the ash cloud in order to assess the impact it could have on air safety. The cloud, which can be viewed at here, currently measures approximately 2,100 miles long and 1,400 miles wide

A further update will be issued at 1430 hrs Sunday 9th May 2010.

Passengers planning to travel by air over the coming days are advised to regularly check their airline websites and the IAA website in advance of going to the airport.

Media contacts:

Ken Rogan: 086 317 9955