Icelandic volcano ash leaves family stranded at airport
A FAMILY from Stoke-on-Trent have been left stranded at East Midlands Airport after ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland suspended flights across Europe.
Sharon and Craig Lees, along with their children Rebecca, aged 13, and Ryan, aged 10, were due to board a flight to Egypt yesterday morning.
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Icelandic volcano ash leaves family stranded at airport
But instead of waking up today in Sharm El Sheikh, they awoke in a Holiday Inn near Nottingham, not sure if they would be able to enjoy their planned two-week holiday, which cost almost £4,000, booked through Thomson Holidays.
The family, of Adderley Green, were among thousands grounded at all British airports by ash floating in the skies towards Britain. Experts fear volcanic ash could damage aeroplane engines and no planes were being allowed to take off until at least 7am today.
Sharon, aged 39, a medical secretary, said yesterday: "What is most annoying is that this afternoon the television was saying the debris was just touching Scotland.
"We should have flown in the morning in the opposite direction, so I don't see why we couldn't go.
"It is my 40th birthday on Tuesday and we were supposed to be going on an excursion to see the pyramids. But the way things are going I could be back in work.
"We booked the holiday in January 2009, so we have been looking forward to it since then. It cost about £3,800.
"We don't know if we can get our money back. All we have been offered so far is £20 each from our insurance company.
"There was a chance that we could fly at 9.45am on Friday. So we've checked into a Holiday Inn, because the taxi cost us £60 and it's cheaper to spend £70 to stay over."
Craig, aged 38, who works as a team leader at Airbags International, in Congleton, said:
"Everyone in the airport was gutted.
"We've been saving up for the holiday for 18 months. It is something special for Sharon's 40th.
"The kids have been really looking forward to it. Ryan is learning about Egypt at school and he has been doing lots of reading to find out about it."
Rebecca, a pupil at Mitchell Business and Enterprise College, said: "We were really looking forward to it and celebrating my mum's birthday."
Ryan, a pupil of Sandford Hill Primary School, said: "I'm gutted."
Up to 4,000 flights have been cancelled with airspace closed in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.
Yesterday, Britain's air traffic control service (Nats) said no flights would be allowed in UK airspace until at least 1pm today amid fears the ash would damage aircraft engines.
However, flights from Northern Ireland and the Western Isles of Scotland to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Prestwick may be allowed sooner.
Clouds of ash contain tiny particles of rock, sand and glass which can wreak havoc with machinery.
The ash cloud spreading throughout Europe was caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland on Wednesday, which sent ash miles into the sky.
As many as 800 people in the Eyjafjallajoekull area were evacuated, and the eruption from within a glacier melted ice and triggered flooding.
Particles were expected to reach ground level in Scotland last night before moving south.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the ash should not cause serious harm, but could cause irritation, particularly to those with respiratory conditions.
16 Comments
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by Deborah Price, Stranded In Ibiza - Wanting to be home in Stoke!
Monday, April 19 2010, 9:26AM
“I have read the comments on this situation and can see that there are mixed views.
My family were amoungst the first to have our flights cancelled whilst at the airport on Thursday. It initially was a great inconvience - having to find more funds and re-arrange flights & work commitments back at home.
We returned to the same hotel, along with a few others not too worried about the situation, but aware that there was concern about returning.
Since Thursday the situation has deteriated severely. This is no longer a happy situation - we have re-booked several flights ... which has to be done at the airport (additional cost of 40 pounds for taxis each time), booked rooms for the days to come, whilst other Brits come along and Spanish tourists still continue to arrive for their hols. This has pushed the room prices up astronomically, along with potential availability!
Some people are now facing the prospect of leaving to sleep on streets along with their kids as they are running out of funds. People are stressed and arguments are starting to flare within the hotel. Food prices are high, along with the necessities such as washing/drying clothes etc.
The air carriers offer no adivce or help and nobody is available from the Embassy...infact Tessa Jowels comment that these staff are at airports is a joke. Any contact is via internet which is also very expensive and limited over here.
So please, don´t think we are all sitting in the sun having fun - people are worried about loosing jobs, running out of money, have a need for medication they can not get here and the atmosphere is awful.
Hopefully something will change soon and we will be home again!”
by Brian, Australia
Saturday, April 17 2010, 2:26AM
“Big deal, some families are stranded on the other side of the world.
B. Beckett.
Australia.”
by S russell, Longton
Friday, April 16 2010, 11:29PM
“This is a story written by editors of a newspaper.. The family would have firstly been concerned about the wellbeing of eachother and not that they had to miss out... But we are human and surley people can see that with the climate of things as they are the cost of the holiday would come to mind when you have saved up for a long time ... And anyone saying otherwise I'm sure would be lying... And as for everyone going on about taking the kids out of school.... it only gets granted if you otherwise have good attendence records.. And I'm sure that the parents would not take them out at a crucial time in their education..ie.. Exams or sats...plus if you book a hol so far in advance and you don't clash somewhere in term time you are a marvolous job because school holidays are always changing... And it's ok for schools to have a day of here and a day off there!!! When you work full time but hey I'm sure ur bosses are quite happy with that..”
by Johntoe, Stokie up north
Friday, April 16 2010, 11:05PM
“SEE, see what this country iz cumig 2, all dat forein dust cumin hear in2 our contryies stopin ours airyplanze frum fluyin it wudnt appen if we ad apror govenmant
we shud send it bak send it al bak, vtoe BNP”
by I'm4euros, UK
Friday, April 16 2010, 8:59PM
“I totally agree with Me from SoT I too like child free holidays, and the head off their school should not have allowed this time off school and wants reprimanding. I'm aware that some people regard their 40th birthday as important, but the Sentinel must be short of stories to even have bothered printing this.”
by Craig Lees, Adderley Green
Friday, April 16 2010, 7:52PM
“Firstly we know safety is the main thing here and we are so glad that we are here in this country and not abroad, i hope everyone gets back soon. Regards the children we had to get permission and we did everything correctly and we even went to the schools and got homework for them to do whilst away, and it is not illegal and believe you me my children come before any holiday . I am not stupid i do know what ash does to an engine and sometimes i just think people in stoke on trent just like a good moan ( like me ). I would also like to say that the papers and tele were at the airport and they interviewed a lot of people. If you are bothered we have now rebooked again in school holidays.”
by Andy, Sandbach
Friday, April 16 2010, 5:14PM
“So their first priority is to phone the Sentinel?!”
by Me, SoT
Friday, April 16 2010, 4:22PM
“Better to be stranded in the UK and only 30 minutes from home than abroad! Is it correct that insurers might not pay out due to this being down to mother nature?
And as for kids being out of school when they have just taken 2 weeks off...what about the childless people who take their hols when kids should be in school for a bit of peace and quiet - you wreck it for them;o/”
by Steve, Newcastle
Friday, April 16 2010, 2:18PM
“Correct me with I very very wrong on this one, but I thought taking children out of school was made illegal. Goes to show that after 2 weeks holiday from school what truly responsible parents these children have. It¿s just another case of bloody mindedness on the side of the parents again. The same old argument is trotted out time and time again, its cheaper in term time blah blah blah. If they knew when they wanted to go away why not save some more money¿”
by Raymond, Staffs
Friday, April 16 2010, 11:03AM
“I think this family need to research the flight of BA009 'Jakarta incident' when a Boeing 747 became a glider for 14 minutes after flying into a volcanic ash cloud. Ingesting ash into its engines and re liquefying the ash and clogging the engine. Mother nature strikes again. nothing is predictable. We are only guests on this planet. You wouldn't drive your car with no air filter in a dust storm? or would you?”