An aerial photo shows smoke rising from the volcano under a glacier in the Eyjafjallajokull region of Iceland, on Wednesday, April 14, 2010. European air traffic from Scotland to Scandinavia and the Netherlands was disrupted by volcanic ash spreading from Iceland, shutting airports and prompting British Airways Plc to suspend all domestic flights. Photographer: Arni Saeberg /Bloomberg
Just imagine, one volcanic eruption in an island country as unnoticeable as Iceland has the potential to send the economies of European countries in a tailspin and by extension the World. Nearly all air traffic over Europe has been at a standstill since last Friday with its predictable resumption days, weeks, or even months away. This one volcanic eruption, spewing supposedly aircraft-unfriendly ash, has changed the world temporarily or even permanently. Some may doubt it but the effects of this uncertain flight disruption, now and in the future, will not only bankrupt many airlines but people. Even if flights were to resume in a day or two the European tourist market will shrink due to the unpredictability of traveling to and from Europe, rendering penniless many small businesses that depend on air cargo and travelers.
The economies of many tourism-dependant Caribbean nations will be devastated even more than it already is if travel to and from Europe declines, and it will. I think these Caribbean countries should start to market more in North America, South America, and even China, Japan, Australia, Malaysia and forget Europe for now. The economies of scale has prevented the people of these Caribbean islands from being anything more than a people who have to wait on others to make ends meet and have their tiny island dreams come true.
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I’m really saddened to see that Caribbean Coast has been affected by these volcanic eruptions. Tourism sector would surely be affected and many paradise-like islands have suffered from the ash falls.
If this air traffic ban continues even for a day or two longer, many European economies will be reduced to ashes. European leaders are caught between a rock and hard place. On one hand they have very little knowledge about the effects of the ash on airplanes and on the other hand they want to appear caring when they don’t normally care a damn unless pressured to do so.
I think a similar situation arose when Hazel found out about a certain woman/child in the US…