Throwing caution to the ash-blowing winds

According to a report in Monday’s Times there will, by the end of this month, be new rules for flying in the vicinity of volcanic ash. Essentially pilots will be left to decide for themselves where it is safe to go, having heed to the Met Office forecasts, the type of plane they are flying & presumably new information about the tolerance to dust of their engines.

And so in barely 3 months we have been able to move from a super-precautionary approach (AVOID!) to one in which we prefer to rely on the judgement of individual experts in each case. We have learned that the precautionary approach is not the same as one which is risk free, for we have heard of, or have experienced ourselves, all the problems, ranging from inconvenient to life changing, of a disruption to air travel. We have also learned that, contrary to the assertions of some of the more noisy campaigners, although some flying may be the indulgence of rich pampered populations, it is also vital to our whole way of life.

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