When Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted in 2010, air transport officials launched a no-fly zone. Thus, researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and the University of Iceland have created a protocol to give traffic authorities the help they need to quickly determine if planes should be grounded when ash threatens airspace safety.

With the issue caused by the Iceland's volcano, the ash plume disrupted the flights of around 10 million travellers and it cost the industry around €2.5 billion. Researchers said volcanic ash could put planes, and the lives of passengers, in grave danger. This is especially true if the particles are small enough to travel high and far. These particles could sandblast the bodies and windows of airplanes, and they could even melt inside jet engines.

According to this study, assessments about safety can be made in less than 24 hours. Once the samples are received, experts can determine their toxicity levels in areas where people and animals live. Within 12 hours, they can estimate the risk of sandblasting on aircraft and assess the risk of fouling jet engines. In just a day, they can determine particle size and predict the spread of ash cloud.

For Professor Susan Stipp from the Nano-Science Centre of the University of Copenhagen stressed that the latest method created will contribute to quickly evaluate future ash and therefore is a key development.