The flight ban applied across the UK in wake of the explosion of an Icelandic volcano stranded thousands, including several members of staff. ?????? was stuck in Sudan at a particularly unfortunate time, as the country was having its first multiparty elections in 24 years (see page ? for Chloe Wittet’s report). Postgraduates Peter Dowell and Richard Burke, both from the department of Mechanical Engineering, were in the USA presenting papers to the SAE World Congress in Detroit at the time of the eruption.
The two, on hearing of the flight restrictions, “spen[t] a nail-biting weekend…trying to work out how to stretch 100 dollars over a week and wondering whether Richard's credit card would cover the hotel bills”. On the Monday, they contacted the University, who agreed to pay the extra costs incurred, as they were on official business.
The following Sunday, eight days later than originally planned, they were able to return to the UK, after an experience which they described as “frustrating”, though they praised the University for being “very supportive”. After the volcano’s eruption, British airspace was closed for six days, a decision which was estimated to have cost £100 million.
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