Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Air Cargo Disruption
The Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Air Cargo Disruption was the April 2010 closure of much of European airspace after ash from an Icelandic volcano spread across the continent, cancelling about 100,000 flights and stranding passengers and freight.
What happened and why it matters
The 2010 ash cloud showed that air freight, often the backup plan for urgent shipments, can itself stop without warning. Between April 15 and 21, 2010, more than 300 airports closed as about 20 European countries shut all or part of their airspace, and Eurocontrol estimated that about 100,000 flights were cancelled. Because much air cargo travels in the holds of passenger planes, perishables, medicines, and spare parts were stuck alongside travelers, and traffic did not return to normal until April 23. The lesson for operators is that a contingency plan needs a genuinely different route, mode, or stock location, not just a faster version of the same lane.