After 200 years of dormancy, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland erupted unexpectedly yesterday morning, causing the worst air travel disruption since Sept.11, according to several news reports. The eruption sent clouds of volcanic ash to several European countries and caused the cancellation of hundreds of commercial flights and several air charter flights worldwide.

Tens of thousands of people were left stranded as European airspace continued to remain closed today. The clouds of ash caused several air traffic controllers to close airspaces across Europe, affecting flights in Great Britain, Germany, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia. At Heathrow International, one of the world’s busiest airports, commercial aircraft were left sitting on the tarmac yesterday, unable to take off into the clouds and risk passengers’ safety.

Volcanic ash can become a serious problem for air charter and commercial flights when it’s ingested into an aircraft’s engine. If this happens, corrosive particles in the volcanic ash can cause a complete engine failure and result in an aircraft accident. To make matters worse, volcanic ash can’t be detected by weather radar, making it harder for pilots to identify and steer clear of the clouds.

The good news is that it appears the ash clouds are finally clearing in some European countries. In Scotland, for example, a commercial jet recently took off from the Glasgow Airport for Canada. The bad news is that once all airspace in Europe reopens, tens of thousands of people will be scrambling to find the next available flight in or out of Europe, causing long lines and significant travel delays.

In order to ensure that you are on the next available flight to or from Europe when it is safe to travel, contact a Stratos Jets expert private flight advisor to book an air charter flight to your destination. Stratos Jets has access to private jet aircraft all over the world and can arrange a charter flight to or from Europe with as little as four hours notice.  It’s important to book private jet charter flights as soon as possible to secure the most appropriate aircraft and best possible pricing for your charter flight.