Future directions for contingency planning in European Air Traffic Management: a response to the April 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption

This report provides a survey of the events following the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in April 2010. National Supervisory Authorities (NSAs) and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) were faced with exceptional circumstances that justified the precautionary approach that guided their decision making processes following the initial eruption. However, a lack of coordinated scientific input into decision making processes at a European level arguably led to inconsistency, confusion and lack of communication with the public and with politicians after the first closures. This paper looks at guidance in a European perspective to study mechanisms that will form and maintain the core scientific knowledge needed to support European crisis management during future contingencies