7 May 2010 12.30 pm AEST

The high density area of the volcanic ash cloud is now lying off the west of Ireland and as a result there are currently no restrictions within UK airspace. We will continue to monitor advice from NATS and the CAA and provide updates if anything changes.

5 May 2010 12.20 pm AEST

Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority has announced that airspace above Scotland and Northern Ireland will close at 7:00 am local time (4.00 pm AEST) on Wednesday 5 May due to the increased density of the ash cloud over the region.

It is likely that some flights to and from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Derry Airports will be suspended during this period. The situation is very dynamic, so passengers expecting to travel from the impacted airports should contact their airlines to check whether their flight is operating.

4 May 2010 5.15 pm AEST

Irish airports will open at 1.00 pm local time (10.00 pm AEST) on 4 May 2010. The IAA has cleared Irish Airports to open for full operations from 1.00 pm local time today Tuesday 4th May. Dublin, Shannon, Cork, Knock, Donegal, Waterford and Kerry will resume normal operations.

4 May 2010 12.30 pm AEST

A new cloud of ash from the Iceland volcano Eyjafjallajökull is currently heading towards Donegal in the north west of Ireland, and could move across the country with north-easterly winds.

As a result, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has imposed restrictions on all flights in and out of Ireland from 7.00 am local time (4.00 pm AEST) until 1.00 pm local time (10.00 pm AEST) on Tuesday 4 May 2010, due to the risk of ash ingestion in aircraft engines.

The airspace closure will affect Dublin, Shannon Galway, Sligo, Ireland West (knock), Donegal, Cork and Kerry. No flights will operate in or out of these airports until at least 1.00 pm local time on 4 May. However planes travelling over Ireland, rather than in and out of its airports, should not be affected.

We have identified all travellers affected and are now in the process of contacting them to discuss their situation and to provide assistance. We are monitoring the situation very closely and will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves.