Aftermath of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption
Encyclopedia
The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano
on 14 April 2010 affected the economic, political and cultural activities in Europe and across the world.
There was extensive air travel disruption
caused by the closure of airspace over many countries affecting the travel arrangements of hundreds of thousands of people in Europe and elsewhere. Sporting, entertainment and many other events were cancelled, delayed or disrupted when individuals or teams were unable to travel to their destination.
The state funeral
of President of Poland Lech Kaczyński
and his wife on 18 April 2010 was affected as some national leaders were unable to attend, including Barack Obama
, Stephen Harper
, Angela Merkel
, and Nicolas Sarkozy
.
restrictions and the International Air Transport Association
(IATA) estimated the airline industry worldwide would lose £130 million ($200 million) a day as a result. IATA stated that the total loss for the airline industry was around US$1.7 billion (£1.1 billion, €1.3 billion). The Airport Operators Association (AOA) estimated that airports lost £80 million over the six-and-a-half days. Over 95,000 flights had been cancelled all across Europe during the six-day travel ban, with later figures suggesting 107,000 flights cancelled during an 8 day period, accounting for 48% of total air traffic and roughly 10 million passengers.
Following Air France-KLM
's and British Airways
' requests to the European Union, and additionally in the latter's case to the British government, for compensation, Gordon Brown
announced that the EU Solidarity fund
, designed to aid EU member states in the event of large-scale disasters, could be a possible source of compensation. The EU's competition commissioner, Joaquin Almunia
, also said the EU was considering easing its rules on governmental subsidies to airlines. Late in April 2010, EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said that governments would reimburse airlines for losses incurred, however the Irish Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said that Ireland would not do so due to the financial crisis.
Following the air travel disruption, EU ministers
agreed to accelerate the integration of national air traffic control systems into the Single European Sky
and also to the immediate creation of a crisis coordination group to handle future transport disruptions.
hardware were also affected as firms were unable to ship their product out.
The pharmaceuticals industry is expecting that it will be hit by spoilage concerns as the stock they manufacture in the UK is time sensitive, and will expire quickly, while not being able to ship to overseas customers. Imports of medications have been affected, and local stocks, as they expire.
There were growing fears about the transportation of food supplies and other essential goods. It was reported that the United Kingdom would soon face shortages of fresh items that are normally shipped in by air.
FedEx
, DHL Express
and other transport companies were grounded throughout much of Europe; FedEx cancelled more than 100 flights. Instead they had to transport packages to alternate destination (such as Istanbul or Madrid) and then ship by road to final location.
Travel firm TUI Travel
reported losses of per day during the airspace closure due to travellers being unable to return home.
The carmaker BMW
said it was suspending production at three of its plants in Germany, because of interruptions in the supply of parts. As waylaid travellers scrambled for other modes of transport, ferry and railway companies enjoyed an unexpected bonanza, while some car-hire firms were reportedly hiking charges.
In the United Kingdom alone thirteen travel firms collapsed during the summer of 2010. The ash cloud disruption was cited as one of the contributing factors.
is reported to have destroyed 400 tonnes of flowers it was unable to airship into the UK. As a result, their economy was estimated to be incurring losses of $3.8m each day of the disruption. Thousands of Kenya
n farm workers were temporarily laid off
as harvesting of flowers and vegetables was stopped by 19 April due to the grounding of flights. The Kenya Flower Council
said 3,000 tonnes of flowers were destroyed and the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya called the situation "disastrous".
Zambia
's flower and vegetable industry lost about $150,000 (£98,000) a day. Other African industries, such as Uganda
's fish and flower export businesses, were also affected by the lack of air freight.
also announced a partial halt to production. Factories in China's Guangdong province saw air shipments of clothes and jewellery delayed. In South Korea, Samsung
and LG
were unable to air-freight more than 20% of their daily electronics exports and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries said hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong were facing shortages of European produce.
to international markets normally supplied by Norway and other northern European nations have substantially boosted orders for New Zealand salmon.
Similarly Holland is unable to supply orchids
for the start of the May wedding market in North America. This shortfall has also been a boost to New Zealand exporters.
and his wife, who were killed on 10 April 2010 in a plane crash
in Smolensk
, took place on April 18th. Due to the disruptions in travel, several national leaders cancelled their plans to attend, including Barack Obama
, Stephen Harper
, Angela Merkel
, and Nicolas Sarkozy
. Presidential aide Jacek Sasin initially said a postponement until later that day or even the following day was a "very serious alternative", but it was later announced that the funeral would take place as planned. On April 17th, delegations from India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand and Pakistan confirmed they would not attend. President Barack Obama
released a statement Saturday afternoon that he would not be able to attend the funeral due to the traffic disruptions. He stated, in a phone call to acting President Bronisław Komorowski, "Michelle and I continue to have the Polish people in our thoughts and prayers..."
to celebrate the 70th birthday of Denmark's Queen Margrethe. The Dutch, Norwegian
, and Swedish
royal families
changed their plans from air to car or rail.
The British Royal Family
's travel plans were disrupted, including the cancellation of the Prince of Wales
's attendance at the state funeral of the Polish president and first lady, and the Princess Royal
's plan to visit Halifax, Nova Scotia for a Canadian Forces
celebration, scheduled for 21 April.
The repatriation of five German Bundeswehr
soldiers wounded in action on 15 April 2010 in Afghanistan
had to be postponed due to the closing of the German airspace. The MEDEVAC
plane carrying them from Termez
Airbase was rerouted to Istanbul
where they are to be treated pending further developments.
On 20 April 2010, it was reported that around 160 Irish troops, mainly from Dublin and Dundalk
and from the Eastern Brigade and due to return home on a chartered plane from a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo
, were stranded in the Balkans due to the travel disruption. They remained at Camp Clarke outside Pristina
.
, who spent 30,000 Norwegian kroner (roughly £3,300) on a taxi journey from Oslo
to Brussels
after his flight from Norway was cancelled. He had been appearing on Skavlan
. The 1,500 kilometre journey lasted around 15 hours, and Cleese passed through Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium during his journey.
83-year old naturalist
and television presenter Sir David Attenborough and his crew, who had reached the North Pole
to film the upcoming BBC nature series The Frozen Planet
, were stranded in the Norwegian Arctic
territory of Svalbard
when the volcanic ash forced air space closure. BBC executives expressed concern that Attenborough's crew would lack food and supplies if they were unable to leave the location, which they reached in a private plane.
Robert Downey Jr.
, Gwyneth Paltrow
, Demi Moore
and American band The Drums
were unable to make their scheduled appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
on 23 April due to the flight disruption, the Iron Man 2 World Premiere in the UK in relation to Downey Jr. and Paltrow's appearance was also moved to LA from London.
in California
, including Bad Lieutenant
, Gary Numan
, Delphic
, Frightened Rabbit
, Talvin Singh
and The Cribs
and the American group Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
(who were touring in Europe) have encountered flight cancellations, jeopardizing their scheduled slots, all of them eventually cancelling their performances.
Carnegie Hall
canceled a concert of the works of Louis Andriessen
because pianist Gerard Bouwhuis
was stranded in Amsterdam and the Bang on a Can All-Stars were unable to leave Frankfurt
.
The Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists
, held in Oslo
, Norway was also affected, it was scheduled to begin on 16 April but was postponed until 18 April due to traffic disruption.
The appearance of pop singer Annie Lennox
on the special "Idol Gives Back" episode of American Idol
on 21 April was affected. Originally, Lennox was to have appeared at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, near Los Angeles
, to perform "Universal Child
" as part of the charity fundraiser. However, since she could not travel to LA, Lennox instead recorded the song at a television studio
in London
, and the tape was played back on the live broadcast. The orchestra
accompanied the song live as if she was actually there.
, scheduled to be the second round of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
was postponed until 2 October 2010, as the majority of teams were unable to travel to the circuit from their European bases.
Other events which were disrupted due to participants being unable to attend include:
Some events were not disrupted but the participants had to make significant alternate travel plans to fulfill the fixture. The UEFA Champions League semi-final teams FC Barcelona
and Olympique Lyonnais
travelled by coach to their matches with Inter Milan and Bayern Munich respectively and in the Europa League both English travelling teams, Liverpool
and Fulham
had to make long journeys by coach, train and Eurostar
to reach their destinations in Madrid and Hamburg.
The world premiere of the motion picture Iron Man 2
was moved to Los Angeles from London.
Miley Cyrus
canceled her appearance at the UK premiere of her movie The Last Song
.
from entering the atmosphere by 19 April 2010.
Residents of West London
under the Heathrow Airport flight path
have described the peace as 'bliss'. John Stewart of the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise said they had been inundated with emails and phone calls and said "The message is that this is what life should be like. The peace and quiet is absolutely wonderful." Christine Shilling, of the No Third Runway Action Group, who lives in nearby Harmondsworth
, said: "I've lived here more than 40 years and I've never known such peace." Jenny Tonge
, president of HACAN Clearskies, life peer
and former Liberal Democrat
MP
for Richmond Park
in London said "Dare we hope that it will finally lay the Third Runway at Heathrow
to rest and concentrate government minds on more environmentally friendly and sustainable forms of transport?"
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
on 14 April 2010 affected the economic, political and cultural activities in Europe and across the world.
There was extensive air travel disruption
Air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption
In response to concerns that volcanic ash ejected during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland would damage aircraft engines, the controlled airspace of many European countries was closed to instrument flight rules traffic, resulting in the largest air-traffic shut-down since World War II...
caused by the closure of airspace over many countries affecting the travel arrangements of hundreds of thousands of people in Europe and elsewhere. Sporting, entertainment and many other events were cancelled, delayed or disrupted when individuals or teams were unable to travel to their destination.
The state funeral
Death and state funeral of Lech Kaczyński and Maria Kaczyńska
Lech Kaczyński, the fourth President of the Republic of Poland, died on 10 April 2010, after a Polish Air Force Tu-154 crashed outside of Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 aboard...
of President of Poland Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
and his wife on 18 April 2010 was affected as some national leaders were unable to attend, including Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
, and Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
.
Airline industry
Air travel and transport throughout the world was cancelled due to the airspaceAirspace
Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....
restrictions and the International Air Transport Association
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
(IATA) estimated the airline industry worldwide would lose £130 million ($200 million) a day as a result. IATA stated that the total loss for the airline industry was around US$1.7 billion (£1.1 billion, €1.3 billion). The Airport Operators Association (AOA) estimated that airports lost £80 million over the six-and-a-half days. Over 95,000 flights had been cancelled all across Europe during the six-day travel ban, with later figures suggesting 107,000 flights cancelled during an 8 day period, accounting for 48% of total air traffic and roughly 10 million passengers.
Following Air France-KLM
Air France-KLM
Air France-KLM is a European airline holding company incorporated under French law with its headquarters at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Tremblay-en-France, Paris...
's and British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
' requests to the European Union, and additionally in the latter's case to the British government, for compensation, Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
announced that the EU Solidarity fund
EU Solidarity fund
EU Solidarity Fund was founded in 2004. Its objective is to provide assistance to EU member states when large-scale disasters occur. Catastrophes are considered to be large-scale if the estimated direct cost of damage exceeds 3 billion euro or 0.6% of gross national income of the country concerned....
, designed to aid EU member states in the event of large-scale disasters, could be a possible source of compensation. The EU's competition commissioner, Joaquin Almunia
Joaquín Almunia
Joaquín Almunia Amann is a Spanish politician and prominent member of the European Commission, currently responsible for Competition under the second mandate of President Barroso. He was previously responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs in Barroso's previous mandate...
, also said the EU was considering easing its rules on governmental subsidies to airlines. Late in April 2010, EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said that governments would reimburse airlines for losses incurred, however the Irish Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said that Ireland would not do so due to the financial crisis.
Following the air travel disruption, EU ministers
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
agreed to accelerate the integration of national air traffic control systems into the Single European Sky
Single European Sky
The Single European Sky is a European Commission initiative by which the design, management and regulation of airspace will be coordinated throughout the European Union ....
and also to the immediate creation of a crisis coordination group to handle future transport disruptions.
European economies
Several sectors that depend on air freighted imports and exports were badly affected by the flight disruptions. Shortages of imported flowers, fruits and electronic hardware were reported in the immediate days after the disruption. Exports of information technologyInformation technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
hardware were also affected as firms were unable to ship their product out.
The pharmaceuticals industry is expecting that it will be hit by spoilage concerns as the stock they manufacture in the UK is time sensitive, and will expire quickly, while not being able to ship to overseas customers. Imports of medications have been affected, and local stocks, as they expire.
There were growing fears about the transportation of food supplies and other essential goods. It was reported that the United Kingdom would soon face shortages of fresh items that are normally shipped in by air.
FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, DHL Express
DHL Express
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
and other transport companies were grounded throughout much of Europe; FedEx cancelled more than 100 flights. Instead they had to transport packages to alternate destination (such as Istanbul or Madrid) and then ship by road to final location.
Travel firm TUI Travel
TUI Travel
TUI Travel PLC is a FTSE 250 international leisure travel group listed on the London Stock Exchange. It was formed on 3 September 2007 by the merger of First Choice Holidays PLC and the Tourism Division of TUI AG, which owns 55.09% of the company, operating in 180 countries and serving 30m...
reported losses of per day during the airspace closure due to travellers being unable to return home.
The carmaker BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
said it was suspending production at three of its plants in Germany, because of interruptions in the supply of parts. As waylaid travellers scrambled for other modes of transport, ferry and railway companies enjoyed an unexpected bonanza, while some car-hire firms were reportedly hiking charges.
In the United Kingdom alone thirteen travel firms collapsed during the summer of 2010. The ash cloud disruption was cited as one of the contributing factors.
African economies
KenyaKenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
is reported to have destroyed 400 tonnes of flowers it was unable to airship into the UK. As a result, their economy was estimated to be incurring losses of $3.8m each day of the disruption. Thousands of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n farm workers were temporarily laid off
Layoff
Layoff , also called redundancy in the UK, is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or a group of employees for business reasons, such as when certain positions are no longer necessary or when a business slow-down occurs...
as harvesting of flowers and vegetables was stopped by 19 April due to the grounding of flights. The Kenya Flower Council
Kenya Flower Council
The Kenya Flower Council is a floral industry industrial association of Kenya. It was formed in 1996 to represent independent Kenyan cut flower and ornamental plant growers and exporters....
said 3,000 tonnes of flowers were destroyed and the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya called the situation "disastrous".
Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
's flower and vegetable industry lost about $150,000 (£98,000) a day. Other African industries, such as Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
's fish and flower export businesses, were also affected by the lack of air freight.
Asian economies
Nissan declared a suspension in the production of three models in Japan on 21 April 2010 because supply of parts has been disrupted. It halted production of 2,000 vehicles in two plants. HondaHonda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
also announced a partial halt to production. Factories in China's Guangdong province saw air shipments of clothes and jewellery delayed. In South Korea, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
and LG
LG
LG may refer to:*LG Corp., a South Korean electronics and petrochemicals conglomerate*LG Electronics, an affiliate of the South Korean LG Group which produces electronic products* Lawrence Graham, a London headquartered firm of business lawyers...
were unable to air-freight more than 20% of their daily electronics exports and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries said hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong were facing shortages of European produce.
Australasian economies
The New Zealand fisheries economy was helped by the disruption caused to air transport in Europe. Difficulties in bringing fresh salmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
to international markets normally supplied by Norway and other northern European nations have substantially boosted orders for New Zealand salmon.
Similarly Holland is unable to supply orchids
Cymbidium
Cymbidium , or boat orchids, is a genus of 52 evergreen species in the orchid family Orchidaceae. It was first described by Olof Swartz in 1799. The name is derived from the Greek word kumbos, meaning 'hole, cavity'. It refers to the form of the base of the lip...
for the start of the May wedding market in North America. This shortfall has also been a boost to New Zealand exporters.
Travel disruption
A number of world leaders and politicians had to postpone planned trips or were diverted and delayed due to the closure of airports and airspace:- Prime Minister of RussiaPrime Minister of RussiaThe Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is not allowed for by the Russian Constitution and other laws....
, Vladimir PutinVladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
postponed a trip to MurmanskMurmanskMurmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
on 15 April - Norwegian Prime Minister Jens StoltenbergJens Stoltenbergis a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
was in New York City for a conference and was unable to return to OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
on schedule. Stoltenberg and his entourage flew to Madrid on Friday, and then onto Basel, Switzerland. Unable to get a train from Basel, they travelled the rest of the way by car. - The President of PortugalPresident of PortugalPortugal has been a republic since 1910, and since that time the head of state has been the president, whose official title is President of the Portuguese Republic ....
, Cavaco Silva had to extend his state visit to the Czech Republic. The President made his way from Prague to Barcelona by car and then took a Falcon of the Portuguese Air Force home to Lisbon. President Silva arrived in Portugal on the evening of 18 April. Angela MerkelAngela MerkelAngela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
, Chancellor of Germany was forced to make a "surprise" visit to Portugal as she returned from the Nuclear Security SummitNuclear Security SummitNuclear Security Summit may refer to:* 2010 Nuclear Security Summit* 2012 Nuclear Security Summit...
in Washington DC. She was expected to return to Germany by 10am on Saturday, but has since then flown to Rome and is also expected to return home to Germany by car. - The ban on flights in the UK disrupted the UK general election campaign trail on 15 April. Liberal DemocratLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
treasuryHM TreasuryHM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
spokesperson Vince Cable's visit to DunfermlineDunfermlineDunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
and West Fife was terminated, as was LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Defence SecretarySecretary of State for DefenceThe Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
Bob AinsworthBob AinsworthRobert William Ainsworth is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Coventry North East since 1992, and was the Secretary of State for Defence from 2009 to 2010...
's journey to Scotland. Former British Prime Minister, Tony BlairTony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, got stranded in Israel during his scheduled election campaign tour. - Emir of QatarQatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani postponed an official two day state visitState visitA state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
to Germany, originally scheduled for 18–20 April. - On 18 April, the PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was forced to cancel his visit to France and a summit in Brussels. - On 20 April, disruption to the Irish Government business occurred when nine Government and six opposition members of Dáil ÉireannDáil ÉireannDáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
, the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, were stranded at various destinations around the world. The Government passed one vote by a majority of two TDsTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
that day, narrowly avoiding defeat.
Funeral of Lech Kaczyński and Maria Kaczyńska
The funeral of President of Poland Lech KaczyńskiLech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
and his wife, who were killed on 10 April 2010 in a plane crash
2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash
The 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash occurred on 10 April 2010, when a Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft of the Polish Air Force crashed near the city of Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board...
in Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
, took place on April 18th. Due to the disruptions in travel, several national leaders cancelled their plans to attend, including Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
, and Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
. Presidential aide Jacek Sasin initially said a postponement until later that day or even the following day was a "very serious alternative", but it was later announced that the funeral would take place as planned. On April 17th, delegations from India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand and Pakistan confirmed they would not attend. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
released a statement Saturday afternoon that he would not be able to attend the funeral due to the traffic disruptions. He stated, in a phone call to acting President Bronisław Komorowski, "Michelle and I continue to have the Polish people in our thoughts and prayers..."
Disruption to Royals
The travel plans of members of European royal families from countries such as the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Spain were canceled they had intended to travel to CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
to celebrate the 70th birthday of Denmark's Queen Margrethe. The Dutch, Norwegian
Norwegian Royal Family
The Royal Family of Norway is the family of King Harald V of Norway. In Norway there is a distinction between the Royal House and the Royal Family. The Royal House includes only the King and his spouse, the Queen, the King's eldest son with spouse, being the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and the...
, and Swedish
Swedish Royal Family
The Swedish Royal Family since 1818 consists of a number of persons in the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. They are entitled to royal titles and style , and some perform official engagements and ceremonial duties of state...
royal families
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
changed their plans from air to car or rail.
The British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
's travel plans were disrupted, including the cancellation of the Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
's attendance at the state funeral of the Polish president and first lady, and the Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
's plan to visit Halifax, Nova Scotia for a Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
celebration, scheduled for 21 April.
Military and civil impact
The Forecasting Economic Support Group of ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environment Protection postponed a planned summit in Bern as North American and Scandinavian members would be unable to attend.The repatriation of five German Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
soldiers wounded in action on 15 April 2010 in Afghanistan
German Armed Forces casualties in Afghanistan
With a contingent of 5,350 soldiers and policemen, Germany is one of the main contributors of troops to coalition operations in Afghanistan. Although German troops mainly operate in the comparatively quiet north of the country, the Bundeswehr has suffered a number of casualties during participation...
had to be postponed due to the closing of the German airspace. The MEDEVAC
MEDEVAC
Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
plane carrying them from Termez
Termez
Termez is a city in southern Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan.Some link the name of the city to thermos, "hot" in Greek, tracing its name back to Alexander the Great. Others suggest that it came from Sanskrit taramato, meaning "on the river bank". It is the hottest point of Uzbekistan...
Airbase was rerouted to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
where they are to be treated pending further developments.
On 20 April 2010, it was reported that around 160 Irish troops, mainly from Dublin and Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
and from the Eastern Brigade and due to return home on a chartered plane from a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, were stranded in the Balkans due to the travel disruption. They remained at Camp Clarke outside Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
.
Arts
The disruption had effects on the arts worldwide, with many events subject to cancellations.Television
One of the early widely reported incidents was the trouble of actor/comedian John CleeseJohn Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
, who spent 30,000 Norwegian kroner (roughly £3,300) on a taxi journey from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
after his flight from Norway was cancelled. He had been appearing on Skavlan
Skavlan
Skavlan is a Norwegian-Swedish television talk show hosted by Norwegian journalist Fredrik Skavlan. It premiered in Sweden on Sveriges Television in January 2009, and the first guests to appear on the show were former Prime Minister of Sweden Göran Persson and his wife Anitra Steen. On 8 May 2009,...
. The 1,500 kilometre journey lasted around 15 hours, and Cleese passed through Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium during his journey.
83-year old naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
and television presenter Sir David Attenborough and his crew, who had reached the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
to film the upcoming BBC nature series The Frozen Planet
The Frozen Planet
Frozen Planet is a nature documentary series, co-produced by the BBC, the Discovery Channel and The Open University. It was filmed by the BBC Natural History Unit. Other production partners are the Discovery Channel Canada, ZDF , Antena 3 and Skai TV...
, were stranded in the Norwegian Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
territory of Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
when the volcanic ash forced air space closure. BBC executives expressed concern that Attenborough's crew would lack food and supplies if they were unable to leave the location, which they reached in a private plane.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey, Jr. is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the...
, Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
, Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
and American band The Drums
The Drums
The Drums are an American indie pop band from Brooklyn, NY with members stemming from the shortlived band Elkland . The band is currently on the Moshi Moshi/Island , Universal and Frenchkiss labels.-Formation:...
were unable to make their scheduled appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
on 23 April due to the flight disruption, the Iron Man 2 World Premiere in the UK in relation to Downey Jr. and Paltrow's appearance was also moved to LA from London.
Music
Some British musical acts scheduled to perform at the 2010 Coachella Valley Music and Arts FestivalCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, including Bad Lieutenant
Bad Lieutenant (band)
Bad Lieutenant are an English alternative rock band formed in 2007 following the breakup of New Order. The band consists of Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Phil Cunningham, Jake Evans and Tom Chapman....
, Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
, Delphic
Delphic
Delphic are an alternative dance band from Marple Bridge, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. They are signed to Polydor and released the single "Counterpoint" in April 2009 through R&S Records, produced by Ewan Pearson...
, Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. The lineup consists of lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and lyricist Scott Hutchison, guitarist and bassist Billy Kennedy, guitarist Andy Monaghan, drummer Grant Hutchison and guitarist and keyboardist Gordon Skene...
, Talvin Singh
Talvin Singh
Talvin Singh Matharoo , is a producer and composer and tabla player, known for creating an innovative fusion of Indian classical music and drum and bass...
and The Cribs
The Cribs
The Cribs are an English three-piece indie rock band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The band consists of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. They were subsequently joined by ex-The Smiths and Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr who was made a formal member of the group...
and the American group Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is a 9-piece, Chicago-based brass group featuring 8 sons of Phil Cohran on horns.Originally from Chicago, the brothers started as a street ensemble before recording in 2004. They have performed with Mos Def, Aquilla Sadalla, Phil Cohran, The Recipe, Nomadic Massive, Tony...
(who were touring in Europe) have encountered flight cancellations, jeopardizing their scheduled slots, all of them eventually cancelling their performances.
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
canceled a concert of the works of Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen is a Dutch composer and pianist based in Amsterdam. He teaches composition at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague...
because pianist Gerard Bouwhuis
Gerard Bouwhuis
Gerard Bouwhuis is a Dutch pianist, b. 1954, best known for his work on contemporary music. A graduate from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague under Geoffrey Douglas Madge, he is a member of the Xenakis Ensemble. Composers such as Louis Andriessen, Cornelis de Bondt and Martijn Padding have...
was stranded in Amsterdam and the Bang on a Can All-Stars were unable to leave Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
The Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists
Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists
The Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists, mostly referred to only as the Menuhin Competition, is an international violin competition for young players under the age of 22, founded by Yehudi Menuhin...
, held in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway was also affected, it was scheduled to begin on 16 April but was postponed until 18 April due to traffic disruption.
The appearance of pop singer Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
on the special "Idol Gives Back" episode of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
on 21 April was affected. Originally, Lennox was to have appeared at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, near Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, to perform "Universal Child
Universal Child
"Universal Child" is a single by Scottish recording artist Annie Lennox, released worldwide on 12 October 2010 on Island Records. It is the lead single from her fifth studio album, A Christmas Cornucopia.-Release:...
" as part of the charity fundraiser. However, since she could not travel to LA, Lennox instead recorded the song at a television studio
Television studio
A television studio is an installation in which a video productions take place, either for the recording of live television to video tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for post-production. The design of a studio is similar to, and derived from, movie studios, with a few amendments for the...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and the tape was played back on the live broadcast. The orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
accompanied the song live as if she was actually there.
Sports
The flight disruptions also led to a number of sporting fixtures being postponed or canceled as teams could not fly to their fixtures. The Japanese motorcycle Grand PrixJapanese motorcycle Grand Prix
The Japanese Motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:...
, scheduled to be the second round of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
2010 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2010 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 62nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. It was the first season for the new Moto2 class....
was postponed until 2 October 2010, as the majority of teams were unable to travel to the circuit from their European bases.
Other events which were disrupted due to participants being unable to attend include:
- The French rugby leagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
teams competing in the Challenge Cup2010 Challenge CupThe 2010 Challenge Cup is a rugby league football tournament which began its preliminary stages on 2 January 2010... - In rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, the match was postponed between SwitzerlandSwitzerland national rugby union teamThe Swiss national rugby union team is a member of the FIRA - Association of European Rugby and plays in the 3A division of the European Nations Cup. Thus far Switzerland have not qualified for a Rugby World Cup.-History:...
and LithuaniaLithuania national rugby union teamThe Lithuania national rugby union team represents Lithuania at rugby union. They are governed by the Lithuanian Rugby Federation , and have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup.-History:...
in the third division2008-2010 European Nations Cup Third DivisionThe 2008-2010 European Nations Cup Third Division will be contested over two years during which all teams meet each other home and away. The Third Division consists of four levels, which effectively constitute the 5th through 8th levels of European international rugby...
of the European Nations Cup - Many of the teams at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship2010 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship-April 19:Draw 409:00Draw 617:00-April 20:Draw 813:00-April 21:Draw 1113:00Draw 1217:00-April 22:Draw 1413:00Draw 1517:00-April 18:Draw 213:00-April 19:Draw 409:00...
and World Senior Curling ChampionshipsWorld Senior Curling ChampionshipsThe World Senior Curling Championships is an annual curling tournament featuring curlers from around the world who are at least 50 years old. Senior curling is quite similar to curling, with the exception of having only 8 ends played instead of 10....
were delayed - Several cyclists who reside in Spain were unable to make it to the Amstel Gold Race2010 Amstel Gold RaceThe 2010 Amstel Gold Race was the 45th edition of the Amstel Gold Race classic cycle race and took place on April 18, 2010. It was held on a 257.4 kilometres course from Maastricht to Cauberg as the sixth event of the 2010 UCI ProTour and the tenth event in the UCI World Ranking series...
, including favorites Alejandro ValverdeAlejandro ValverdeAlejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish road racing cyclist currently under suspension. He last rode for UCI ProTour team . Valverde's biggest wins have been the 2009 Vuelta a España, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006, 2008 and 2006 UCI ProTour series championship...
and Luis León SánchezLuis León SánchezLuis León Sánchez Gil is a Spanish road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He is also known as Lulu Sanchez. He rode for team Liberty Seguros-Würth from 2004 until 2006, when he moved to the Caisse d'Epargne team following the collapse of the Liberty Seguros-Würth team in the wake of the Operación... - Professional wrestlerProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
Douglas WilliamsDoug Williams (wrestler)Douglas Clayton Durdle is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Doug Williams. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Douglas Williams...
, who was to defend his TNA X Division ChampionshipTNA X Division ChampionshipThe TNA X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily defended in TNA's X Division—a style based on a fast-paced, daredevil type of wrestling...
at the Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
pay-per-view event LockdownLockdown (2010)Lockdown was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on April 18, 2010 at the Family Arena in Saint Charles, Missouri. It was the sixth event under the Lockdown chronology and the fourth event of the 2010 TNA PPV...
, was unable to fly out of the United Kingdom. This resulted in Williams being stripped of his title. - Mixed martial arts fighter Jim WallheadJim WallheadJim Wallhead is an English professional mixed martial artist, based in Leicestershire, England, who competes in the welterweight division. Wallhead's background is in Judo, where he holds a Black Belt having trained under Olympic silver medallist Neil Adams...
was due to fight in the BellatorBellator Fighting ChampionshipsBellator Fighting Championships is a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. "Bellator", which is Latin for "Warrior", is organized into seasons with each event hosting the rounds of championship knockout tournaments for three-five weight divisions.-History:In its first season,...
season 2 welterweight tournament, but had to withdraw because he could not travel to the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. - The Boston MarathonBoston MarathonThe Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
, on 19 April, took place without many athletes who had been in the affected countries - WWE Monday Night RawWWE RAWWWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, also on 19 April, was staged almost entirely with fill-in talent from the Friday Night Smackdown brand. The only Raw-brand "superstars" who made the show were Triple HTriple HPaul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
, Vladimir Kozlov, CarlitoCarlito- Nickname :* Carlos Colón, Jr., professional wrestler* Jonny Jakobsen, eurodance artist- Fictional character :* Carlito Brigante, character from Carlito's Way and After Hours, novels by Edwin Torres...
as well as Commentators Michael ColeMichael ColeMichael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist....
and Jerry LawlerJerry LawlerJerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
, as the remaining stars were in BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
following a European tour. - The World Chess Championship was delayed by one day because the defending World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand was stranded in FrankfurtFrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
Some events were not disrupted but the participants had to make significant alternate travel plans to fulfill the fixture. The UEFA Champions League semi-final teams FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
travelled by coach to their matches with Inter Milan and Bayern Munich respectively and in the Europa League both English travelling teams, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
had to make long journeys by coach, train and Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
to reach their destinations in Madrid and Hamburg.
Other
The eruption impacted a record-breaking round-the-world flight led by Captain Riccardo Mortara. His private plane was due to land in Keflavik, Iceland, but with runways shut down was forced to abort at the last minute, costing his historic speed flight four to five hours.The world premiere of the motion picture Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
was moved to Los Angeles from London.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
canceled her appearance at the UK premiere of her movie The Last Song
The Last Song (film)
The Last Song is a 2010 American coming of age drama film developed alongside Nicholas Sparks novel by the same name. The film was directed by Julie Anne Robinson in her feature film directorial debut and co-written by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie...
.
Effect on the environment
The volcano released approximately 0.15 million tonnes of CO2 each day, but the massive reduction of air travel occurring over European skies caused by the ash cloud, saved an estimated 1.3 to 2.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxideCarbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
from entering the atmosphere by 19 April 2010.
Residents of West London
West (London sub region)
The West is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The sub region was established in 2004 and was adjusted in 2008 to include Kensington and Chelsea. The west has a population of 1.6 million and...
under the Heathrow Airport flight path
Trajectory
A trajectory is the path that a moving object follows through space as a function of time. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit—the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass...
have described the peace as 'bliss'. John Stewart of the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise said they had been inundated with emails and phone calls and said "The message is that this is what life should be like. The peace and quiet is absolutely wonderful." Christine Shilling, of the No Third Runway Action Group, who lives in nearby Harmondsworth
Harmondsworth
Harmondsworth is a village in the London Borough of Hillingdon, close to London Heathrow Airport. The village is situated south of West Drayton.The nearest places are: Hayes, Harlington, Heathrow Airport, Longford, London, Sipson, West Drayton and Yiewsley....
, said: "I've lived here more than 40 years and I've never known such peace." Jenny Tonge
Jenny Tonge
Jennifer Louise Tonge, Baroness Tonge is a politician in the United Kingdom. She was Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Richmond Park in London from 1997 to 2005.-Early life:...
, president of HACAN Clearskies, life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
and former Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Richmond Park
Richmond Park (UK Parliament constituency)
Richmond Park is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History and character:...
in London said "Dare we hope that it will finally lay the Third Runway at Heathrow
Expansion of London Heathrow Airport
The expansion of London Heathrow Airport involved the proposal by BAA Limited to build a third runway and a sixth terminal at Heathrow. The plan was supported by businesses, the aviation industry, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress and...
to rest and concentrate government minds on more environmentally friendly and sustainable forms of transport?"