Millions of travelers have been stranded because of the shutdowns imposed by an Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajoekull. Pronouncing the volcano’s name causes nearly as many difficulties as this spitfire mountain causes to the whole planet. It has began erupting on Wednesday, 14th of April and flights being canceled or delayed cost the aviation industry, already reeling from a punishing economic period, at least $200 million a day, according to the International Air Transport Association. Scientists say that because the volcano is situated below a glacial ice cap, magma is being cooled quickly, causing explosions and plumes of grit that can be catastrophic to plane engines, depending on prevailing winds. European air traffic could return to about 50 percent of normal transportation on Monday if skies over half the continent are emptying of the volcanic ash that has thrown global travel into chaos. The prospects for a return to normal air travel remains far from clear, however.
