Leading essay Precautionary element

Its sods law, isnt it? No earlier has the Government voiced the mobilisation of the Royal Navy to rescue stuck British citizens, than the misfortune of the volcanic tear in Iceland appears to be over. Last night there were hopes that the hundreds of thousands of travellers trapped by the closure of majority of Europes airspace would shortly be on their approach home. That so majority personal dramas might be sketch to a acquire end, however, does not meant that there are no questions to be asked. In a little ways, the bigger inquisition is usually beginning.

As dual days" check lengthened in to 4 and five, travellers, airlines and transport companies began to ask because so majority airspace was sealed for so long, and either such a sweeping anathema was unequivocally necessary. There will be questions about either airlines and transport companies complied with their authorised obligations, where these exist, to yield place to live and sustenance.

There will additionally be fights about compensation, with majority word companies treating a volcanic tear as an "act of God" and so unclosed a perspective that is tough to contest. Airlines and transport companies, that have suffered outrageous waste from the intrusion only as commercial operation was starting to collect up, will step up their claims for supervision support. If the misfortune delays are over by the finish of the week, we think such claims will not encounter majority sympathy. Healthy businesses, similar to anything else, must, to a degree, support for the unexpected.

While all these are considerations that merit to be aired, however and we do not instruct to blink the repairs to commercial operation or the nuisance caused to people it is critical to keep a clarity of proportion. The dangers of volcanic ash are recognized by general aviation and manners were in place, that were quickly invoked and adhered to. The closure of British and majority European airspace was voiced and lengthened in an nurse manner. There were unchanging European consultations, and reserve as it should have been was the peerless concern.

In the UK, the choosing debate gave the airfield closures an one more edge, and the Government can be indicted of watchful as well prolonged to take action. But the Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis, in all spoke great sense. And whilst there is certainly a box for reviewing the manners on drifting and volcanic ash, that contingency be finished in a proper, systematic manner, not in the feverishness of open indignation. This was a reserve issue, and where reserve is concerned, the Government and the aviation authorities are right to error on the side of caution.