AP Photo/Icelandic Coastguard
In this image made available by the Icelandic Coastguard, taken, Wednesday April 14, 2010, smoke and steam rises from the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland, which erupted for the second time in less than a month, melting ice, shooting smoke and steam into the air and forcing hundreds of people to flee rising floodwaters. Authorities evacuated 800 residents from around the glacier as rivers rose by up to 10 feet (3 meters). Emergency officials and scientists said the eruption under the ice cap was 10 to 20 times more powerful than one last month, and carried a much greater risk of widespread flooding.
Published Thursday, April 15, 2010 | 1:59 p.m.
Updated Thursday, April 15, 2010 | 3:02 p.m.
An enormous ash cloud from a remote Icelandic volcano caused the biggest flight disruption since 9/11 Thursday as it drifted over northern Europe and stranded travelers on six continents. The effects were being felt across the country, including in Las Vegas.
Officials said it could take days for the skies to become safe again in one of aviation's most congested areas.
McCarran International Airport officials said British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways flights in and out of Las Vegas have been canceled.
McCarran spokesman Chris Jones said a British Airlines flight left McCarran on Wednesday night, but was required to turnaround and return to Las Vegas.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic each have one daily round trip flight between Las Vegas and the United Kingdom, Jones said.
Delays on other airlines were possible, Jones said. He added that all air passengers are encouraged to check with their airline before going to the airport.
The ash cloud, floating miles above Earth and capable of knocking out jet engines, wrecked travel plans for tens of thousands of people, from tourists and business travelers to politicians and royals. They couldn't see the source of their frustration - except indirectly, when the ash created vibrant red and lavender sunsets.
Non-emergency flights in Britain were canceled, and most will stay grounded until at least midday Friday. Authorities in Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Belgium also closed their air space. France shut down 24 airports, including the main hub of Charles de Gaulle in Paris, and several flights out of the U.S. had to double back.
At London's Heathrow airport, normally one of the world's busiest with more than 1,200 flights and 180,000 travelers a day, passengers stared forlornly at departure boards on which every flight was listed as canceled.
"We made it all the way to take off on the plane. ... They even showed us the safety video," said Sarah Davis, 29, a physiotherapist from Portsmouth in southern England who was hoping to fly to Los Angeles. "I'm upset. I only get so much vacation."
A volcano beneath Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull (ay-yah-FYAH'-plah-yer-kuh-duhl) glacier began erupting Wednesday for the second time in less than a month, triggering floods and shooting smoke and steam miles into the air. About 700 people from rural areas near the volcano were evacuated Thursday because of flooding.
Video showed spectacular images of hot gases melting the thick ice, sending cascades of water thundering down the steep slopes of the volcano. Rivers swelled 10 feet (3 meters) in hours.
The ash cloud became a menace to air travel as it drifted south and east toward northern Europe - including Britain, about 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) away.
The ash plume drifted at between 20,000 feet and 36,000 feet (6,000 meters and 11,000 meters), where it could get sucked into airplane engines and cause them to shut down. The smoke and ash also could affect aircraft visibility.
Britain's air traffic service said late Thursday it was extending a ban on most air traffic until 1200GMT (8 a.m EDT) Friday, but flights to Scotland and Northern Ireland may be allowed to resume before then.
The agency said Britain had not halted all flights in its space in living memory, although many were grounded after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.
"People can't remember a time when it has been on this scale," said Patrick Horwood of the air traffic service. "Certainly never involving a volcano."
Kyla Evans, a spokeswoman for air traffic body Eurocontrol in Brussels, said the ash had led to the cancellation of about 4,000 of the 20,000 daily flights across Europe. There were more cancellations as the day went on; in Germany, airports in Berlin and Hamburg were shut Thursday evening.
More disruptions were expected Friday, Evans said, "but where and to what extent will depend on meteorological conditions."
Several U.S. flights bound for Heathrow, including those from Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas and New York, had to return to their departure cities or land elsewhere when London airports were closed.
The Associated Press and Sun reporter Kyle Hansen contributed to this report.
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