Air France: We carried out succesful test flight

[onehandle]

Source: AP

PARIS – Air France says it's safely carried out a test flight over France for the first time since a volcanic ash plume shut down aviation over Europe.

The plane traveled from Charles de Gaulle airport to Toulouse in southern France. Another test flight is under way in southwest France, it said, and three more will follow, for a total of five test flights Sunday.

European airlines are pushing national regulators to reopen airspace across Europe, saying the ash appears to have diminished enough to make flying safe.

Dutch airline KLM said it safely flew aircraft without passengers through a window in the cloud of volcanic ash over Europe Sunday, and pressed for an end to the total ban on commercial air traffic that has paralyzed travel across the continent.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100418/ap_on_re_eu/eu_iceland_volcano

[Ian David]

1. Let Bobby Jindal be first to fly through the ash-hole. n/t

[dipsydoodle]

2. British Airways

have announced not they're flying until Tuesday earliest. There may be a few test flights between London and Ireland but I'm not sure by whom.

[FailureToCommunicate]

3. Money over safety. Same old story...

[PfcHammer]

4. These flights are not sufficient. The contaminated airspace

is much larger than can be examined with a few short flights.

[jmowreader]

5. Any problems that will occur, will be delayed

I have seen volcanic ash up close and personal. It's a very fine gray abrasive rock dust. Assuming they can see, or their radars can see, through the ash clouds, there's not an immediate safety problem...but if there's a lot of ash in the air, it could wear out planes quickly.

Cleaning airports really well is going to be key to longevity. The vacuum trucks used to clean streets in the US will be very good for this.

[global1]

6. I Know That I Wouldn't Take The Chance Flying In That Ash......

how irresponsible.

[Dr.Phool]

7. I flew over the ash cloud from Mt. St. Helens.

I think we were over Iowa somewhere, en route to Vegas.

I still have the pictures of the gray cloud below us.

[TheDebbieDee]

8. Oh, sure. It's all safe enough.......til the first plane crashes!