Travel chaos as ash cloud returns to shut airports (with video)

AIR passengers are facing another week of travel chaos as the return of the Icelandic ash cloud closed airports across the country ahead of British Airways staff's first round of strike action.

Leeds-Bradford, Humberside, Doncaster, Teesside, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and East Midlands airports were all included in a no-fly zone announced at 1pm yesterday afternoon. London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports were due to join the flights ban today as the cloud drifted southwards.

But revisions to the no-fly zone last night meant airports in the north of England such as Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Liverpool were being allowed to reopen from 1am today.

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The Department of Transport warned there might be restrictions across different parts of the country until a change in wind direction blows the ash cloud from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano away from Britain.

The problems of British Airways are likely to continue throughout the week, however. Staff are planning strike action from tomorrow until Sunday over plans to cut cabin crew numbers.

Airline chiefs reacted furiously to yesterday's flying ban, insisting their tests had shown there was little threat to safety from the ash cloud.

Sir Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic, said: "The closing of Manchester airspace once again is beyond a joke. All the test flights by airlines, aircraft and engine manufacturers have shown no evidence that airlines could not continue to fly completely safely."

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But the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) hit back, stating safety was paramount and that all decisions were based on scientific and engineering evidence.

"We will not listen to those who effectively say, 'Let's suck it and see', " said CAA chief executive Andrew Haines.

Airports to the far north and south of Britain remained open last night because of the localised nature of the cloud. But Irish airspace was shut until at least 9am today.

The latest closures come just as passengers were hoping the skies were returning to normal, one month after volcanic ash cancelled a swathe of flights across Europe. A spokesman for Manchester Airport was optimistic there would be no repeat of the chaos last month when no planes flew in UK skies for nearly a week.

Rail operators have pledged to run extra services and carriages wherever possible.