MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Andrew Heasley – “AUSTRALIA’S airlines are in chaos for the second time in 10 days after the busiest airports, Melbourne and Sydney, were largely shut down by the return of the volcanic ash cloud.

Tens of thousands of travellers face being marooned for days after the main airlines cancelled more than 500 domestic flights yesterday.

While the ash plume is expected to start clearing over south-eastern Australia this morning, Melbourne flights are not expected to resume until 11am. And it will be much longer before the backlog is cleared.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson said hundreds of thousands of domestic passengers would be affected today and potentially into tomorrow.

The ash cloud this time is larger – about 2000 kilometres long – and its base lower, at about 6000 metres. ‘It just makes it impossible for airlines to be able to fly underneath it or around it,’ Mr Gibson said.” Read more.