Across the continent, airports are operating and the airlines are flying again, but the complete halt to air transportation in Europe over the past week — the first such instance in history, with more than 100,000 flight cancellations — will be the subject of heated debate in the coming weeks and months.
The industry estimates that the cost of the closure of European airspace totalled $1.7 billion (around €1.3 billion). According to estimates by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the flight ban paralyzed, at least for a time, around 29 percent of all global flights. Over the weekend alone, $400 million a day in revenues were lost. The Association of European Airlines (AEA) is estimating total losses at close to $1 billion.
This quote from an ABC News article is among many taking a closer look at the events that transpired over the course of the European air closures. With airline and airport owners alike claiming the level of ash was nowhere near dangerous, questions are being raised about the validity of the crisis management strategy put into place by the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, also known as Eurocontrol.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/