Airspace in northern Finland is expected to open on Wednesday morning, according to the Transport Safety Agency (Trafi). However, the airports in Helsinki, Turku and Tampere will most likely remain closed.
Finland’s airspace is to remain closed to flights until at least 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Trafi says it is monitoring the situation continuously. Airports in Southern Finland will most likely remain closed for at least part of the day on Wednesday. Finnair says it’s unlikely that opening airports in Northern Finland will provide much relief to travelers.
Meanwhile, aviation authority Finavia says intercontinental flights will be allowed to pass over Finnish airspace at a height exceeding 9.5 km. The flyovers will be allowed until 9 a.m. Thursday, and the situation will be updated by Wednesday morning at the latest.
Finavia adds the level of volcanic ash is increasing below 900 metres and, accordingly, restrictions may be imposed on some smaller planes at this level.
Finavia technical director Hannu Hervos says authorities will discuss the matter Tuesday evening.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute emphasises that the situation could change rapidly. The Institute together with the University of Helsinki are planning new ways of measuring the volcanic ash cloud. For instance, they plan to send a hot air balloon to a height of up to 5,000 metres on Thursday.
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