http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8629008.stm

While it’s good to go and monitor, and not to just rely on one source of data, I would not want to be the media rep for the carrier whose 747 full of people returning home drops out of the sky onto a major city because the commercial pressure has been too great to bear.

Various conversations over the weekend have raised various questions about what would happen if the volcano carries on for the “months” that some scientists have been claiming. There is also the possibility that it can trigger another eruption of a neighbouring volcano, which would make things far worse.

There are emergency talks going on in the EU today as well.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8628867.stm

What I find interesting is that it has been political decisions across Europe to stop the flights, not scientific.

The aviation authorities weren't behind the ban - the met office ordered the cancellation of flights.

There are also reports of private flights, flying VFR, being forced down by military jets...

Well if they can fly VFR then surely the ash-cloud-of-doom isn't as dense as people seemed to be expecting. Reports from the now-infamous '82 cloud resulted in no view out of the cockpit at all, and sandblasted front windows.

Small propeller driven planes could still fly but below 10 000 ft only. The same for helicopters.

Commercial airliners will want to avoid flying if it invalidates their insurance or is not cleared. If it does damage the engines as has been mentioned then the cost of flights will rocket as airlines have two choices, pay for the extra fuel used over the lifetime of the engine or replace the engines.

They don't fly high enough to be affected by the cloud. Which is why it seems odd that they are being forced to land, when flying at their normal, low levels.

It has the conspiracy theorists claiming that there is something else going on and it has nothing to do with the cloud at all.

Lufthansa were making some "repositioning" flights over the weekend, moving planes from Munich to Frankfurt, they were also flying VFR, but they weren't forced to land by military jets.

Allegedly the French Mirages ask politely once, then they fly underneath your wing and start bashing into it with their wings and if you still don't react, they'll fly in front of you and turn on the afterburners! Evidently, once they do that, you won't melt, but you sure as hell will land!

Do you have any references / links to such reports Dave ? I've not seen or hear anything about it in the media?

No Agenda programme 192, about 20 minutes into the show... Although that is Adam talking, relating what a Wing Commander told him...

I think that the official reason is that flights are banned when ash is in the area. Regardless. Zero tolerance that is all. There is no reason for any conspiracy theorists to get excited. May be the volcano was a result of a super villain having an accident excavating his volcano?

Volcanos and sharks with frickin' lasers obviously don't mix.

There's always a reason for a conspiracy theorist to get excited, the issue is whether it's a logical reason

It is not often that the possibility of a super villain reference comes up.

Or even practicable. Though the super paranoid really need to get one of Bobbdobbs tin foil hats.