Ferries see further demand as volcanic ash returns

Ferry companies offering services to Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic have once again provided a valuable option to travellers today (May 4th) after the emergence of a new cloud of volcanic ash caused flights in the region to be cancelled.

The eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland last month led to the closure of large parts of European airspace for a period of six days.

Ferry operators such as P&O Ferries and Stena Line experienced unprecedented demand during the period and have again experienced an influx of passengers today as a result of further flight cancellations.

Air services to and from Ireland, as well as parts of Scotland, were called off from 07:00 BST and will not resume until 13:00 BST at the earliest.

Irish Ferries has announced that it has capacity available on its Irish Sea crossings, including the Pembroke to Rosslare ferry route.

Other alternatives to air travel include the Liverpool to Dublin ferry route, which is served by P&O Irish Sea and Norfolkline.

Stena Line operates ferries from Belfast to Stranraer, as well as a Holyhead to Dublin ferry service.

Posted by Mark Robinson