When Eyjafjallajökull erupted in March 2010, ash plumes drifted southeast over Europe and, as a result, the controlled airspaces over many European countries were closed to air traffic, stranding thousands of people worldwide. Why would flying a commercial jet through a cloud of volcanic ash be dangerous?

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Nathanael Wong

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13 May, 01:23

When Eyjafjallajökull erupted in March 2010, ash plumes drifted southeast over Europe and, as a result, the controlled airspaces over many European countries were closed to air traffic, stranding thousands of people worldwide. Why would flying a commercial jet through a cloud of volcanic ash be dangerous?

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Broderick Schmidt · Answer 1

According to the statement "when eyjafjallajokull erupted in March 2010, ash plumes drifted southeast over Europe and, as a result, the controlled airspaces over many European countries were closed to air traffic, stranding thousands of people worldwide." The reason why flying a commercial jet through a cloud of volcanic ash would be dangerous are the ash impairs visibility, clogs engines, and abrades engine parts.