Volcano ash cloud SMS forecast service launched in UK
A new volcanic ash SMS text message service has been launched to reassure travellers about the risk of flight disruption up to five days in advance.
The ‘AshAlert’ update and alert service is available from today and provides subscribers with text message updates every three days on the potential for airport shutdowns as well as instant, real-time alerts should a new high-density ash cloud be detected heading towards UK airspace.
The real-time advisory system was created by the publishers of ClickGreen in response to the flood of enquiries the site received following last weekend’s rolling wave of UK airport closures.
By pooling data feeds, information and analysis from the aviation authorities, volcano observations and the UK and Icelandic Met Offices, AshAlert takes the worry out of travelling and provides advance warning of the possibility of airspace closures in the UK and Europe.
The service costs just £10 for a three-week subscription and is aimed at providing peace of mind for passengers travelling on business or for a short break or family holiday.
Other information includes the current air travel situation and the potential for high-density ash clouds across the UK or Europe in the next five days, as well as the very latest volcanic activity report.
ClickGreen editorial manager Jack Allen commented: “It was clear from the number of requests for travel information that a service was needed to reduce the worry of the unknown and increase passengers’ confidence that their travel plans would not be disrupted.
“With the holiday season coming up, AshAlert will provide the reassurance that any updates or warning will be sent out immediately as an SMS so subscribers can relax and enjoy their holidays without the need to constantly call home or pay for internet access to receive patchy updates.
“Similarly, business travellers can focus on their schedule safe in the knowledge the service will keep them fully updated.â€
To avoid confusion and unnecessary alarm, the service focuses solely on the predicted position of ash clouds identified as high-density, containing concentrations of dust currently judged to exceed the safe tolerance levels of aircraft engines.
Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano is 500 miles off the coast of Scotland and shows no sign of stopping spewing ash debris into the skies.
UK consumer can subscribe by simply typing the SMS message ‘ASH’ and send to phone number 60777. The three-week £10 subscription will automatically be billed.
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