Lorely Burt voices concern about flight ban.
April 20, 2010 3:00 PM
Originally published by Lorely Burt MP
Originally published by Lorely Burt MP
Solihull's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Lorely Burt, has voiced concern about the current flight ban across the UK and its effect on UK PLC.
The flight ban was put in place due to fears that the emissions from the Icelandic volcano can seriously damage aircraft engines and endanger flight safety. European ministers are meeting today to reassess the situation and to consider options such as creating an extended exclusion zone or limiting flying to less than 20,000 ft.
As a result of the flight ban, over one hundred thousand British holiday-goers and business people are stranded and the economy is taking a hit. Airlines are thought to be losing around £130m a day, not to mention the knock-on effect to businesses that rely on airline freight.
Airlines such as British Airways, who have performed flight tests into the ash, have reported no problems and the air industry is questioning the need to have a flight ban.
Commenting, Lorely Burt has said:
"Of course, in all of this, safety is paramount.
"However, there is a 60% chance of the volcano continuing to erupt for the next two weeks and there is no sign of the ash completely clearing any time soon.
"We cannot underestimate the serious financial implications that the flight ban is having. It is not sustainable and a more workable solution needs to be found that does not endanger passenger safety.
"Gordon Brown needs to deliver certainty to industries who depend on air travel and air freight. We don't know how much longer this is going to go on for and so we need a contingency plan to help companies and passengers cope with the delays."
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