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Written question asked by Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) on Friday, 24 November 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 28 November 2023. It was answered by Anthony Browne (Conservative) on Wednesday, 29 November 2023 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Aviation: Volcanoes

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased volcanic activity in Iceland on aviation.

Answer

The Department of Transport maintains regular engagement with the Met Office who informs the Department of the type of volcanic activity and likelihood of eruption taking place in Europe. Over the past week, seismic activity at Reykjanes has reduced. The Met Offices’ current assessment of the Reykjanes volcano is that if an eruption were to happen this would be effusive (lava and gas dominant as opposed to ash-rich), similar to previous eruptions taken place in 2022 and 2023. Therefore, it would have a minimum impact on aviation.

In addition, the Department maintains regular engagement with NATS, CAA, Met Office, and UK airports, to understand the potential impacts of an eruption and existing contingencies in place to manage disruption to passengers and operations.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
3614
Session
2023-24
Subjects
Aviation Iceland Volcanoes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk