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As of today’s date (24 May), the current volcanic eruption in Iceland looks like it will cause some disruption to UK and European air travel. So far flights from Northern Ireland airports to Scotland and Dublin have been affected. The Consumer Council advises passengers to contact their airline before travelling. A list of airline website addresses and contact numbers is available at www.consumercouncil.org.uk.

As of today’s date (23 May), the current volcanic eruption in Iceland looks like it will cause significantly less disruption to UK and European air travel than last year – however, with unsettled weather patterns across Northern Ireland and the UK, this could change at short notice.

Passengers travelling on yesterday’s Aer Lingus flight (EI072) from Belfast to Faro that was diverted to Lisbon can claim expenses from the airline for their additional travel costs.

The Irish Government has confirmed in its Jobs Initiative Strategy it intends to remove the €3 Air Travel Tax (ATT) if airlines increase passenger numbers travelling through Republic of Ireland (ROI) airports. In contrast to ROI, passengers travelling from Northern Ireland’s (NI) airports are required to pay UK Government Air Passenger Duty (APD) at a rate of £12 for domestic and European flights and £60 for travel to destinations including the USA.

Consumer Council says Easyjet’s announcement of an increase in its booking fees for credit and debit card payments shows a clear disregard for passengers - at a time when the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating airline charging practices. The recent hikes have seen the cost of credit card charges rise to a minimum of £12.95 per booking, up from £10.45 and debit cards £8, up from £5.50.