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| Flights resume, but a new eruption threatens Air traffic between Svalbard and mainland close to normal, but more volcano eruptions seen as likely
Published April 20, 2010 A huge backlog of stranded passengers is easing and fresh supplies are arriving as flights resume normal operations between Svalbard and mainland Norway. But the relief may temporary as an Icelandic volcano responsible for the disruption is threatening more eruptions. Flights, halted following last Wednesday's eruption, resumed on a limited basis to northern parts of the country last Friday and all Norwegian airspace was cleared for normal operations as of Tuesday night. Getting to destinations remains chaotic for many, however, as airlines try to cope with the millions of passengers affected by the cancellation more than 100,000 European flights, the largest air traffic disruption in history. The crisis has cost airlines an estimated 12 billion kroner and sparked calls for a wholesale reform of Europe's air traffic system. Seismologists warned Tuesday the volcano in the Eyjafjallajokull region of Iceland continues to show signs of activity, with an eruption larger than last week's possible, but at the moment is spewing more lava than ash. Flights were grounded because the ash cloud that covered much of Europe is made up of tiny silicate particles that can severely damage jet engines. The Svalbard governor's office is reviewing the situation daily and has arranged for the Coast Guard to provide vessel transportation to the mainland for incidents such as medical emergencies if airspace is closed again, said Sgt. Erik Nygaard. "The situation can change from hour to hour," he said. Longyearbyen stores and restaurants, which found themselves out of produce and other perishables, started receiving fresh supplies by air and ship early this week. Alexander Flygel, 20, a Svalbardbutikken employee who was restocking the meat section Tuesday, said it's not the worst interruption of supplies he's seen in nearly 10 years of living here, but "it's the worst case in many, many years." The ash cloud didn't reach Svalbard, so flights within the archipelago and to North Pole expeditions weren't interrupted. But all mainland airports were closed until a few in the north were allowed to resume service Friday and, with travelers still unable to reach Oslo and points beyond, officials at Svalbard Airport said the situation for some became desperate. "There are people who need to be at a funeral, others in foreign countries and we have heard about a father who cannot come down to a birth in progress on the mainland," said Tone Bendiktsen, a Scandinavian Airlines ground service worker, in an interview with Svalbardposten. A high-profile tale among the masses enduring hardship featured David Attenborough, 83, a veteran broadcaster who reached the North Pole on Saturday as part of a a nature series being filmed for the BBC. Widespread headlines followed when the ash cloud trapped him and colleagues in the field, as BBC officials expressed concern the team would run out of supplies. 'They had been making good progress with the new series of 'Frozen Planet' and could never have foreseen something as strange as a cloud of volcano ash stopping them from flying," an official told London's Daily Mail.
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