Eruption disruption

Expect the unexpected” is a terrible cliche, but given the wars, natural disasters and financial crises of late, it could be considered standard procedure for our times. While a volcanic eruption was to be expected — at some point or another as volcanologists frequently warn — Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull’s burst of ashy activity on April 15 caught everyone with their pants down. Military powers had developed no secret weapons able to stop it and all the ’enhanced’ airport security measures and full body X-ray scanners could do nothing to screen the threat. As the ash cloud’s creeping tendrils closed one major Northern European airport after another, it became starkly obvious how easily aviation — the predominant means of international travel — could have its wings clipped. One day of inactivity might have been tolerable, but five was catastrophic.  The impact of the volcanic eruption was staggering: 29 percent of global