VOLCANOES AND ECONOMICS (2)

"I'm back". No, not Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 5, but the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, which has started up again. The main difference from what happened in April is that the resulting ash cloud has been blown to different parts of the globe. Instead of sweeping across Scotland to Scandinavia and on down through Germany to Eastern Europe, it has taken a more westerly route, and then ended up in Spain, Southern France and Northern Italy. 19 Spanish airports were shut yesterday, along with Nice, Pisa and Florence. And transatlantic flights are having to take long detours to avoid the cloud sitting over the Atlantic.

Along with the above, six airports in Northern Scotland have also been closed. What must be worrying for the U.K. Government, long a supporter of air travel (and, in particular, of Heathrow's position as the world's leading international airport and key transatlantic hub) is the fact that Scotland has been hit both times. Sitting as it does south east of Iceland, Scotland is both on the direct route and the indirect (south followed by east) route. When Eyjafjallajokull erupted in December 1821, the eruptions continued, off and on, for more than a year. It is possible that this one could run for longer than the Terminator franchise. Then there really would be a need for Arnie ...

Walter Blotscher