Remember that ash cloud? It didn't exist, says new evidence
By Sean Poulter
Last updated at 10:28 AM on 26th April 2010
Britain's airspace was closed under false pretences, with satellite images revealing there was no doomsday volcanic ash cloud over the entire country.
英國領空被關閉於虛假要求下，衛星圖像顯出在全國之上並沒有末日火山灰雲。
Skies fell quiet for six days, leaving as many as 500,000 Britons stranded overseas and costing airlines hundreds of millions of pounds.
天空寧靜了6天，使多達 50萬英國人滯留海外，和耗費航空公司億萬英鎊。
Estimates put the number of Britons still stuck abroad at 35,000.
估計將仍停留在國外的英國人數目在35,000人。
Stranded: Hundreds of desperate Britons sleep on the basement floor at Bangkok's International Airport, Thailand waiting to get flights home無依無靠的：數百名絕望的英國人睡在泰國曼谷國際機場地下室的地板上，等待有航班行家
However, new evidence shows there was no all-encompassing cloud and, where dust was present, it was often so thin that it posed no risk.
然而新證據顯示，沒有全方位的雲和，在灰塵存在的地方，它往往是如此薄，它不構成危險。
The satellite images demonstrate that the skies were largely clear, which will not surprise the millions who enjoyed the fine, hot weather during the flight ban.
衛星圖像證明，天空大部分是清楚的，這將不會令在停航時數百萬享受美好、熱天氣的人感到奇怪。
Jim McKenna, the Civil Aviation Authority's head of airworthiness, strategy and policy, admitted: 'It's obvious that at the start of this crisis there was a lack of definitive data.
民航管理局的適、戰略和政策航主管吉姆麥克納承認：'它是明顯在這場危機開始時，缺乏明確的數據。
False alarm? Satellite images have revealed there may never have been a doomsday volcanic ash cloud over the UK (file picture)假警報？衛星圖像已顯示，那裡在英國上空永不可能有一世界末日的火山灰雲（檔案照片）
'It's also true that for some of the time, the density of ash above the UK was close to undetectable.'
'它亦是事實，在一些時間，在英國上的灰密度幾乎探測不到。
The satellite images will be used by airlines in their battle to win tens of millions of pounds in compensation from governments for their losses.
衛星圖像將被航空公司用於它們的戰爭，以贏得幾千萬英鎊政府的損失賠償。
The National Air Traffic Control Service decision to ban flights was based on Met Office computer models which painted a picture of a cloud of ash being blown south from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano.
Eruption: The Eyjafjallajokull volcano saw flights across Europe grind to a halt and passengers stranded噴發：埃亞菲亞德拉冰蓋火山經歷橫跨歐洲各地的航班停頓和乘客滯留
These models should have been tested by the Met Office's main research plane, a BAE 146 jet, but it was in a hangar to be repainted and could not be sent up until last Tuesday - the last day of the ban.
Evidence has emerged that the maximum density of the ash was only about one 20th of the limit that scientists, the Government, and aircraft and engine manufacturers have now decided is safe.
British Airways chief Willie Walsh always insisted the total shutdown went too far.
'My personal belief is that we could have safely continued operating for a period,' he said.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of Britain's ABTA, which represents British travel agents and tour operators, said about 100,000 stranded British travellers should have been returned home by Monday morning.
About 35,000 more will remain marooned until Friday, the group said.
'While most flights are back to normal, and most stranded British passengers will be back by the end of this weekend, there is still quite a high level of disruption in some destinations.
'In some areas of the world, there is a significant lack of air capacity to enable British people to be returned quickly,' Tanzer said.
Many Icelandic airports are closed and though authorities say Eyjafjallajokull is now producing much less ash, they confirmed no signs of the eruption ending.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1268794/Remember-ash-cloud-It-didnt-exist-says-new-evidence.html
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