European air traffic control authorities have decided to ground planes in Belgium, the Netherlands and western parts of Germany starting Thursday afternoon as a result of ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland, an official said.
A spokeswoman for Eurocontrol said that the airspace over north- western parts of continental Europe would begin closing down at 1200 GMT, with all aircraft expected to be on the ground within an hour, DPA reported.
The volcanic cloud is expected to reach Belgian airspace at 1400 GMT, the spokeswoman told the German Press Agency dpa. Safety officials say that the ash particles could damage aircraft.
The cloud has already caused chaos across the North Sea, forcing the closure of airspace in Britain and Scandinavia.
Ash to ground planes in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands
European air traffic control authorities have decided to ground planes in Belgium, the Netherlands and western parts of Germany starting Thursday afternoon as a result of ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland, an official said.
