Volvcanic Ash Clouds and Air travel -Paul Cayard reporting from Lisbon

8:00 PM Mon 19 Apr 2010 GMT

'BBC Map showing the extent of the volcanic ash cloud on 19 April 2010'

A few more airports in Europe are open today than yesterday, mostly in the South; Northern Europe still closed. Luckily, I tacked to the Southwest! My original route was through Frankfurt, which is a no go zone.

I have my boarding pass. again - been there before - 24hrs ago. Planes are taking off here in Lisbon, although seventy-five percent of the flights from here are cancelled as their destination airports are closed.

Watching the news here in the lounge, 63000 flights have been cancelled since Thursday. If you figure an average of 200 people per flight, that's 12.6 million people effected! The airlines are losing $200 million a day in Europe alone.

But stepping back a bit from my immediate problems and what seems to be earth shatteringly important, this volcano is Mother Nature. She was here long before we were.

We have created this life and these systems, and ultimately we have to fit in. These eruptions have been going on long before we figured out how to fly. This volcano may spew ash for months or even years. So far, this volcano hasn't killed or even injured a single person! So, patience, we may have to adjust a little.

I guess that's easy to say now that I am in my seat with my seatbelt fasted and the stewardess glaring at me to turn off my Blackberry.

Out of here!

by Paul Cayard

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Volvcanic Ash Clouds and Air travel -Paul Cayard reporting from Lisbon

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