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Easyjet has unveiled a system that it says will allow airlines to safely fly around ash clouds.
It involves infra-red technology that allows pilots to see the damaging particles up to 62 miles ahead.
The theory is that a pilot can then change course and continue to fly safely.
It has the support of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the body that decides whether it is safe to fly through ash in UK airspace.
The CAA said it was happy an airline appeared to have found a technical solution, and, although it was not endorsing the product, it would do what it could to help certification.
 EasyJet Ash Detector (from BBC News website) ‘Silver bullet’
Earlier this year, many air passengers had their travel plans wrecked when airlines had to scrap thousands of flights due to the Icelandic volcanic ash problem.
The CAA faced criticism from some airlines, who argued that the body had been overly cautious.
AVOID: The Theory
Easyjet’s proposed Avoid system will work in theory by spotting ash at sufficient distances to allow air traffic controllers enough time to re-plan flight paths. It will also act as a “spy in the sky” – giving traffic control extra detail on any ash clouds that are out there. The device, which works using infra-red technology but essentially looks like another radar in the cockpit, is light, small and easy to install.
It differs from an existing ash measuring device, a Lidar, used by the Met Office, which at one stage was also suggested as a way to enable aircraft to avoid ash. A Lidar essentially looks only in the direction you point it in, and needs time to draw an informative picture.
Can aircraft dodge volcanic ash?
Easyjet chief executive, Andy Harrison, said: “This pioneering technology is the silver bullet that will make large-scale ash disruption history.”
The new system, called Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector (Avoid), will be tested by Airbus on behalf of Easyjet within the next two months.
Easyjet, which is spending £1m ($1.47m) on the system, says it is happy for rivals to share its knowledge.
Mr Harrison, said: “What we don’t want to do is to gain a commercial advantage over other airlines so we can fly and they can’t. We are not going to exclude people from this technology.”
He said the hardest part would be to get approval from European authorities.
Ash damage
Easyjet said the volcanic ash disruption had cost it up to £75m,
Its passenger figures for last month, showed 215,000 of its own passengers had their travel plans disrupted because of volcanic ash and 1,600 flights were cancelled.
Despite the impact of the ash cloud, the expansion of the no-frills airline meant that it still flew 7.9% more people in May than a year ago.
The average load factor of the plane, an important measure of airline efficiency, was 85.8% compared with 83.5% in May 2009.
A total of 4.25 million people took a flight with Easyjet in May, up from 3.95 million last year.
1. Book In Advance
Try and book 12 weeks ahead to bag super bargain fares. Advance tickets can be available as late as 6pm the night before; so it’s worth a call to check.
2. Split Ticketing
This is where you can break your journey into smaller chunks but stay on the same train and pay less than the standard open or saver return, or even on a one way fare.
If you wanted to travel from Station A to Station C, you would expect to buy a ticket direct from A to C. With Split Your Ticket, depending on your route you may find it cheaper to buy a ticket from A to B and B to C. You still complete the same journey from A to C but stay on the same train without getting off – saving money!
When it comes to saving money on your UK train fares, remember to split your ticket not your journey.
3. Buy a Rail Card
If you’re under 26, over 60, or travelling with children, you can cut a third off most ticket prices with a railcard, costing £26 a year.
There is also a railcard for you if you are disabled, for just £18 and a friend travelling with you will also get the discount.
Also a Network Railcard covers London and the Southeast and allows three friends to travel with you at the same discount and up to four children at 60% discount.
For journeys costing over £60, always get a railcard. The saving on the fare will cover the cost of the Railcard.
4. Only Pay Peak For The Portion That is Peak
Peak times are usually before 10am and between 5pm and 7pm. If at all possible avoid these times and you’ll find better bargains.
You can still cut the cost by buying two singles instead of a return if only one part of your journey is during peak times or else by using split ticketing (see above), so that if some of your journey isn’t during peak time, you’re not paying a peak price for your whole ticket.
For more information go here .
The ‘EXIT’ Festival July 8-11, Novi Sad, Serbia
 A Popular Stage at the EXIT Festival With 25 stages, you are almost certainly guaranteed to find whatever specialist style of music you seek at Exit, alongside big names who this year include the Chemical Brothers, Mika, Placebo, Missy Elliott, LCD Soundsystem and Pendulum. A lovely site on the slopes of a castle overlooking the Danube, cheap food and drink, blazing Balkan sunshine and entertainment that goes on all night make this a favourite with students from all over Europe. Expect four riotous days and next to no sleep. Novi Sad is about 90 minutes drive from Belgrade Airport,
Cost £85 www.exitfest.org
Spirit of Burgas August 13-15, Burgas, Bulgaria
Nominated for best European festival at the UK Festival Awards for the past two years – and this is only its third event – Spirit of Burgas takes place on the white sands of the Black Sea coast. The beach stretches for two miles, the sea views are stunning, tickets are cheap and the seven stages offer
 The Sisters of Mercy performing at Spirit of Burgas,August 2008 rock, dance and jazz from acts including the Prodigy, Gorillaz Sound System and DJ Shadow. A festival to visit now, before hordes of Brits discover it.
Cost £52 www.spiritofburgas.com
‘Stop Making Sense’ September 3-5, Petrçane, Croatia
Billed as three days and nights of musical anarchy by the sea, this is a brand-new dance festival co-organised by a former Big Chill director and British club promoter. The September weekender celebrates 25 years of techno with DJ sets from Juan Atkins, Carl Craig and Theo Parrish, as well as Friendly Fires and Optimo. Son of Dave, Django Django and Nathan Fake play live and, for an extra £10, festival-goers get access to after-dark boat parties and clubs.
Only 20 minutes from the airport of Zadar (Discover Europe with Lufthansa ) and 90 minutes from the airport of Split (Balkan Holidays) this is truly a unique and special place to enjoy, explore, relax and go wild in.
Cost £80; www.sms-2010.com
Flybe will be the first airline in the UK to be able to fly within the new CAA approved safe levels of volcanic ash. The CAA called upon the industry to bring forward thoroughly researched proposals to safely improve the ability to fly in the vicinity of low level volcanic ash concentrations. Flybe worked closely with the Met Office, Bombadier and Pratt & Whitney their engine manufacturers in Canada to develop the proposals.
This means that all travellers will be less affected by any future ash clouds coming our way. If the new rules had been in place when the ash cloud first came across UK and European airspace, far fewer flights would have been affected. This means that the delays that affected thousands of passengers when the ash first arrived are less likely to affect so many in the near future.
You can make a booking on flybe now at
Kyrgyzstan boasts a number of spectacular mountain lakes. It is possible to travel through spectacular mountain scenery and experience the traditional life of the Kyrgyz while staying in yurts. There are also opportunities for spectacular horse treks and hikes throughout.
Lake Issyk Kul, which means “hot lake” in the Kyrgyz language, is situated in the northern Tian Shan mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan. It is the tenth largest lake in the world by volume and the second largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea. Although it is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, it never freezes; hence its name.
The lake’s southern shore is dominated by the ruggedly beautiful Teskey Ala-Too Range of the Tian Shan mountains. The Kyungey Ala-Too Range of the Tian Shan runs parallel to the north shore.
 Lake Issyk Kul A number of small towns surround the lake. These fell on hard times after the break-up of the USSR, but now hotel complexes are being refurbished and simple private bed-and-breakfast pensions (guest houses) are being established for a new generation of health and leisure visitors. For those who like a beach holiday, Lake Issyk Kul offers beaches surrounded with beautiful mountains.
Lake Issyk Kul is 182 kilometers long, and up to 60 kilometers, and covers an area of 6,236 square kilometers. This makes it the second largest mountain lake in the world behind Lake Titicaca in South America. Located at an altitude of 1,607 meters, it reaches 668 meters in depth. It is also the site of an ancient city from 2500 years ago, and archaeological excavations are still going on.
Over 100 rivers and streams flow into the lake; the largest are the Djyrgalan and Tyup. It is fed by springs, including many hot springs, and snow melt-off. The lake has no current outlet, but some scientists reckon that, deep underground, lake water filters into the Chu River.
Kyrgyzstan can offer adventure travel at its best. This is an unspoilt country where you can still enjoy simple pleasures in relative solitude. Make the most of it now. In the next few years, the tourism industry will develop, and there will be many more visitors to this beautiful country.
BMI – Bishkek route list
The town of Hisar in Bulgaria is making a new claim to fame by healing hundreds of kidney stones, bladder stones and gallstones with water from the 22 mineral springs in the region. There is a rehabilitation hospital in the town and spa and wellness hotels have mushroomed in recent years.
 Part of the old Roman wall at Hisar (Hisarya) Hisar, founded by the Romans and once surrounded by high walls to protect the healing springs, is among dozens of resort towns in the Balkan country trying to revive their traditions in balneotherapy (the therapeutic use of thermal spas) and create a new market for tourists.
The Black Sea resorts of Albena and Pomorie in the east, and to Velingrad and Sandanski in the southwest, have new luxurious hotels which have already gained a reputation among Bulgarians and foreigners alike for the high quality of their services.
Before the fall of communism in 1989, visitors from Scandinavia, the former Soviet bloc and the Middle East were regular guests in Bulgaria’s spas which specialized in treating medical conditions varying from gout to sterility.
But in the past decade, Bulgaria marketed itself almost entirely as a cheap destination for summer and winter holidays, turning its back on its varied natural resources. The consequences of which have been to sideline the spa resorts and Bulgaria’s historical heritage.
Spa tourism has started to attract investment during the past five years, according to the Bulgarian Union for Balneology and Spa Tourism. Companies from Israel, Russia, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman have already invested or shown interest.
Velingrad, a charming mountain town that boasts 80 mineral springs, has 5 star hotels with affordable prices and a warm climate. There is an ageing population in Europe that will find the availability of all-year-round spa services an attractive proposition.  Grand Hotel Velingrad Bulgaria offers the unique mineral waters, ecologically clean locations, and a good price-quality balance. The country wants to spend more on its infrastructure so that it will be able to compete with other European tourist destinations. Bulgaria is now advertising the unique spas at fairs in Germany, the Balkans, Israel and Russia.
Sigrun Lang, president of the European Spas Association, says Bulgaria’s has rich natural resources, a long-term tradition in balneotherapy, and well-qualified specialists. It will not remain a well kept secret for too much longer.
Look here for more information on Balkan Holidays
The Shofar Group is based in Naryn and offer great packages or bespoke tours for internal travel in Kyrgyzstan. This is the land of spectacular lakes and mountains. Their itineraries include staying in yurt camps, horse trekking, cultural tourism and visiting the specular lakes including Issyk-Kul.
 Kyrgyzstan Travel for Lakes & Mountains Sometimes referred to as ‘the Switzerland of Asia’ because of its mountainous landscape, Kyrgyzstan is perhaps the most liberal of all the Central Asian republics. In Kyrgyzstan, tourism is largely of the outdoor adventure variety and those planning hiking or horse-riding holidays in Kyrgyzstan will find a great choice of facilities.
The capital of Kyrgyzstan is Bishkek (population 670,000). The other big cities are Osh (250,000), Tokmak (73,000), Kara Balta (54,000), Jalal-Abad (71,000) and Karakol (63,000). You can travel to Bishkek on BMI UK direct from London or with connections through London from Canada and Europe, or Aeroflot via Moscow and Turkisk Airlines via Istanbul.
Check out the Rivers Travel – Kyrgyzstan website for more details of Kyrgyzstan Tour Packages, including the Kyrgyzstan Lakes, and day trips around Tash Rabat, Chatyr Kul, and Song Kul.
 Volcanic Ash Cloud
Jet engines can suck in volcanic ash and it can severely stall or shut down an engine. There are instances in the past where this occurred.
In 1982, a British Airways flight from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, Australia, passed through an ash cloud that had just erupted out of a volcano in Indonesia. One by one, each of the engines on the jumbo jet shut down, and the plane began to dive toward the ground. Disaster was averted only when the pilot managed to glide below the ash cloud, clearing the engines; the flight was able to make an emergency landing in Jakarta.
Volcanic ash, which is made up of sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen fluoride, along with fine silica particles, may not block pilots’ sight lines, but its chemicals can wreck sensitive aircraft engines.
The debris can interfere with sensors that indicate if the fuel system is too hot or cold. In the case of volcanic ash, it seems that it leaves sensors indicating an aircraft is too cool, and will cause overheating.
The eruption ejected the plume, which is made up of fine rock particles, up to 11km into the atmosphere.
Clouds of volcanic ash can act similar to a sand storm, and be blinding for the pilots.
Weather radar cannot pick up volcanic ash as the particles are so fine, so it makes it exceedingly difficult to avoid in the air.
“Air traffic restrictions have very properly been applied,” said Dr Rothery (a volcano researcher from the UK’s Open University). “If volcanic ash particles are ingested into a jet engine, they accumulate and clog the engines with molten glass.”
 Effects of Volcanic Ash on Jet Engine
By Ferne Arfin, About.com Guide to United Kingdom Travel
Saturday April 17, 2010
As the ash cloud spewing out of the Icelandic volcano continues to create worldwide travel chaos, many travelers are finding themselves stuck in transit with no end in sight, forced to find accommodation, meals and so forth for days on end.
Who pays for that? Do you have to? Is this considered an act of God and thus not covered by various rules and regulations?
Not on your life!
European rules are very clear about passenger rights in this kind of situation and if anyone, passengers or airlines, were in any doubt about it, European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas responsible for Transport, has issued this statement:
“…even in exceptional circumstances EU passenger rights continue to apply and air travelers should speak up to claim their rights.
“This is a situation which is causing immense difficulties for passengers traveling throughout Europe. It can be considered a very exceptional circumstance. Nevertheless, it is important to remind passengers and airlines that EU passenger rights do apply in this situation:
* the right to receive information from airlines (e.g. on your rights, on the situation as it evolves, cancellations and length of delays)
* the right to care (refreshments, meals, accommodation as appropriate)
* the right to chose between reimbursement of fares or being re-routed to final destination.”
The statement made clear, however, that “in an exceptional circumstance such as this” passengers would not be entitled to additional financial compensation as the delays or cancellations are not the fault of the airline.
EU regulations apply to all passengers, regardless of their citizenship when:
* traveling within the EU on a carrier registered in any country.
* traveling anywhere on a carrier owned by an EU company.
BalkanTravellers.com 6 April 2010 | A list of the 10 most affordable holiday destinations, including Croatia, Bulgaria and Turkey, was recently published by the German-language version of the Yahoo! Travel Magazine.
The three Balkan countries were listed in the company of Malaysia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Egypt and Hungary, as places that afford good quality travel at reasonable prices.
Croatia – mentioned by the publication as an alternative to a holiday in Italy, attracts with its diverse landscape and the friendliness of its hosts, which it offers for very little money. According to the magazine, however, high season – around July and August, should be avoided in return for the months of April and May.
Bulgaria is profiled as a diverse destination, offering a range of possibilities – from the beach vacation opportunities presented by the Black Sea coast to the skiing holidays available at the Bansko mountain resort. Named as the cheapest destination in Europe, but not forever, as – the publication notes, the country is in the running to enter the euro zone.
The third affordable Balkan destination on the Yahoo! Travel Magazine’s list is Turkey, which combines beautiful beaches, fancy hotels and fine food – all at a good value for money. According to the publication, Turkey offers especially good deals for families and great shopping bargains as well.
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