Airlines make test flights amid wait for clear skies

Dutch and German airlines have carried out test flights over Europe and say their planes appeared undamaged by a volcanic ash cloud that has forced airports to close across the continent.
A plume of ash spreading from Iceland has led to massive air travel disruptions in recent days, and problems are getting worse as the cloud spreads south-east across Europe.
The volcanic ash contains tiny particles of glass and pulverised rock, which can melt in plane engines, causing a loss of power.
Dutch airline KLM says if further examinations show its test flight to have been successful, it hopes to fly seven planes back from Germany to Amsterdam on Sunday (local time) and get permission to partially restart its operations.
KLM says it flew a two-engine Boeing 737-800 over the Netherlands at the regular altitude of 10 kilometres, at the maximum 13 kilometres, and at other levels.
"We have found nothing unusual, neither during the flight, nor during the first inspection on the ground," KLM chief executive Peter Hartman, who took part in the test flight, said.
"If the technical examination confirms this image, we are ready tomorrow to fly back our seven planes from Duesseldorf to Amsterdam.
Germany's Lufthansa says it flew 10 planes to Frankfurt from Munich, mostly flying at a 'visual level' of 3,000 metres while also testing conditions through to a height of 8,000 metres.
"All airplanes have been inspected on arrival in Frankfurt but there was no damage to the cockpit windows or fuselage and no impact on the engines," company spokesman Aage Duenhaupt said.
18/04/10 Reuters/ABC News

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Categories: Foreign Apr 2010