The European air traffic management response to volcanic ash crises: Towards institutionalised aviation crisis management

Jacques Dopagne, Director, Directorate Network Management, EUROCONTROL

Abstract
A cloud of ash drifting from the erupting Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland in April and May 2010 covered Europe and created an unprecedented situation. It resulted in an almost complete lockdown of European airspace in the period from 15th to 21st April, 2010: more than 100,000 flights were cancelled, 10 million people were affected and over US$1.8bn was lost by airlines globally. This article presents the air traffic management (ATM) view of the situation. Through an analysis of the evolution of the events in the affected region, the article will provide more details on ATM planning, reaction and follow-up actions. Furthermore, the influence of this event on the identification of further improvements needed to advance volcanic procedures internationally will be discussed. Actions undertaken since the end of the event — the establishment of the European Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell, running of the International Civil Aviation Organization VOLCEX 11/01 volcanic ash exercise and European response to the Grimsvötn eruption in May 2011 — will be discussed at the end of the article.

Keywords
volcanic ash, crisis management, EACCC, VOLCEX 11/01, Eyjafjallajökull

Jacques Dopagne has over 30 years’ experience in air traffic management (ATM). He became Director of the EUROCONTROL Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU) in 2006 and of the Directorate Network Management in 2011, following restructuring of EUROCONTROL’s agency. Mr Dopagne previously served as General Manager of the Paris regional air navigation centre (CRNA Nord), France’s biggest air traffic control centre. Mr Dopagne started his career at the French Ministry of Transport, where he headed an office in the General Directorate for civil aviation, dealing with airspace organisation and large-scale air navigation equipment programmes. He was subsequently appointed adviser to the Director of Air Navigation, a position he held for three years, during which time he represented the French civil aviation administration at discussions on the ATM Strategy 2000+ and the EUROCONTROL revised convention. Mr Dopagne graduated in engineering from the Ecole Nationale d’Aviation Civile (ENAC) in Toulouse, France.

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