To fly or not to fly, that is the question

AIR travellers face another period of disruption as the Civil Aviation Authority extends its no-fly zone till 1pm today. Key airports in the Midlands and North-west England have been closed, though Newcastle remains open.

But with every twist in the shape of the ash cloud there is no unanimity of view as to whether these restrictions are strictly necessary. Virgin's Sir Richard Branson has described the Manchester closure as "beyond a joke". He claims that all the test flights by airlines, aircraft and engine manufacturers have shown no evidence that airlines could not continue to fly safely. And, he adds, more than 1,000 flights took off from France last week in similar conditions to that which obtained in Manchester yesterday without encountering any problems.

His frustration is understandable. His company, after all, stands to lose heavily in revenue terms through cancelled flights while passengers will want to be assured that a "safety first" policy is in place. But credibility could become a growing issue with the air traffic authorities, given the warnings yesterday that the Icelandic eruption could last for years, not just months.

That is a prospect that will deeply concern both the travelling public and the industry.

And it will underline the need for government authorities across Europe to work to a common set of standards and rules to counter accusations of over-caution in any one jurisdiction.