Birmingham outdoor market affected by ban on flights

In the shadow of the famous Bullring shopping centre, crowds have flocked as usual to Birmingham's busy outdoor market in the sunny weather.
But the blue skies above are quiet, as the ban on flights in English airspace as a result of ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland enters a sixth day.
Due to the airline chaos, the outlook is currently uncertain for stall owner Shujah Mir. He has six years' experience behind him selling specialist Asian and Caribbean produce.
But since the weekend his turnover has reduced by about 30% with revenue going down by about £200 to £230 a day.
As food goods face delivery problems, companies have suffered disruption on top of the huge loss in revenues for airlines.
Although air freight represents just 0.5% of the UK's international movement of goods, it accounts for 25% by value, and includes items like pharmaceuticals and luxury goods.
Mr Mir said there were four or five stallholders selling Asian produce at the outdoor market - and he said he was not alone in having problems.
Away from the specialist Asian and Afro-Caribbean produce, one man who has worked at the market for nearly three decades has been counting the cost of recent events.
Frank Finlan, 73, said items such as bananas, pumpkin and yam had doubled in price but he was not passing extra wholesale costs onto customers.
Over at Birmingham's nearby wholesale market, where that stall owner gets produce, one man has had empty pitches for the first time in 40 years in the business.
Naim Alvi, from Amin Sons & Co Ltd, added: "We have regular containers in by sea, which take at least 14 days to come, but by air we are grounded at the moment.
20/04/10 Andrew Dawkins/BBC.co.uk

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Categories: Cargo Apr 2010, Foreign Apr 2010