Not all volcanic eruptions are the same.

Is it an unacceptable political statement to say unaccountable government ATC technocrats cost companies hundreds of millions of euros for no reason?

I guess I’ll know if my post gets deleted.

It would be completely untrue to say ‘unacountable government ATC technocrats’ because NATS was privatised in 2001 with the government retaining 49% of the shares and the airline community owning the remainder. It is therefore accountable to its share and stakeholders.

From the NATS website

NATS Services is a unique company formed from a unique situation.

Originally a function within the UK’s CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), NATS (National Air Traffic Services) became a separate entity in 1996. When the UK Government part-privatised NATS in 2001, NATS was granted a licence by the Secretary of State for Transport to provide services in en route and oceanic airspace.

However, this licence does not extend to tower and approach control services at airports, which are managed as contestable markets within the UK. Instead, airports can decide how to manage their air traffic control and all associated procedures and disciplines.

I think someone needs to go in and edit the CAA and NATS wikipedia webpages because they are a little sparse in detail

I would imagine the Qatar has heard that LHR will be open in an hour and is heading for there instead

The Orlando Gatwick BA flight looks like he’s heading for the Gatwick area whilst the other three are still circilng as they were with the fourth one heading for Shannon but has now turned in the Dublin area – maybe he has enough fuel left for a trip to Heathrow or Manchester

We don’t have two authorities, we have a whole myriad of air navigation service providers in Europe.

BAW218 has left the pattern and looks as if it is heading for Shannon

G-YMMT BAW38 BJS-LHR just off the coast of the Netherlands has turned round and heading back north east again. Going into AMS maybe?

In the descent at 20,000 feet over Netherlands