Flights have been grounded across the UK and much of Europe since Thursday following the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull.

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Alternative plans, including the possibility of sea and land travel, had been explored because of the crisis caused by the Icelandic volcano.

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The recent oil spill and eruption of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull , would seem to provide evidence of a clear link rather than a debate.

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If the exercise two years ago did not capture the range of problems that an Icelandic volcano might cause, it did show that the general situation was entirely foreseeable.

ECONOMIST: Volcanoes and air travel: Small eruption in Iceland | The

When an Icelandic volcano grounded planes from Europe two years ago, many top European runners missed out on the Boston Marathon, as prestigious a running event as the New York race.

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