The 2010 Eyjafjalljökull volcanic eruption disrupted global air traffic more than 9/11, according to new research by scientists at Northwestern University in Illinois.
Photo: Páll Stefánsson/Iceland Review.
The impact was larger because important connecting airports across Western Europe had to be closed despite a total of 100 airports being closed compared to 200 following 9/11, the report states.
“We find that the Eyjafjallajökull event had an anomalously strong impact on worldwide mobility because the Western European airports forced to close provide irreplaceable connectivity between distant regions. This dangerous vulnerability can be minimized by introducing more high-traffic, inter-regional connections between non-European airports,” the report reads.
The findings were published on plosone.org earlier this month.
Related:
25.01.2012 | Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Lesson for Aviation Industry
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