Holiday dreams turn to ashes...
Reporter: DAWN MARSDEN
Date published: 16 April 2010
Photo: Picture by ANTHONY MILLER
GOING nowhere . . . James O’Neill with wife Nikki and daughters Tia (left) and Ava stranded at Manchester Airport
HOLIDAYmakers face another day of travel chaos as all flights in and out of Manchester are grounded until 1am tomorrow at the earliest.
Air traffic control chiefs said the huge cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland continues to cover most of the UK and could affect air travel until Monday.
The ash cloud caused chaos at Manchester Airport yesterday with 202 arrivals and 311 departing flights cancelled — and a reported 75,000 passengers affected.
Paulette Sowerby, from Chadderton, is stranded in Turkey after a two-week holiday. She was due to fly to Manchester from Dalaman at lunchtime today.
She said: “We have had to check out of our hotel room but the Thomas Cook rep keeps saying she does not know what’s going to happen.
“Some people who were supposed to leave yesterday were checked back into the hotel. Not knowing is horrible as we’re just hanging around with our cases.”
James O’Neill was due to fly to Cancun, Mexico, with his wife Nikki and their daughters yesterday morning.
When he arrived at the airport he was allowed to check in before airport staff told him his flight was cancelled. James, from Edinburgh, said: “We had to get a hotel in Manchester last night but Thomas Cook still haven’t told us if the holiday is cancelled or just delayed. Airport staff are telling people to go home but no-one really knows what’s going on so it is utter chaos.
“We all understand that this is no one’s fault but it is really frustrating when you’re stuck in limbo like this.”
A spokeswoman for the airport said: “All passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.”
Airports across the country, which had been able to handle some early–morning arrivals and departures before the flight ban yesterday, effectively shut down from noon.
Icelandic weather expert Einar Kjartansson said: “How long the ash disrupts travel depends on how the wind carries the ash.”
