'Ash weather radar' unveiled

New technology that could minimise future disruption to planes from volcanic ash has been unveiled by budget airline easyJet.

The carrier will be the first airline to trial a new "weather radar or ash" system called AVOID (Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector).

The system involves placing infared technology onto an aircraft to supply images to both the pilots and an airline's flight control centre.

Millions of passengers had their travel plans wrecked when airlines had to scrap thousands of flights in recent weeks due to the Icelandic volcanic ash problem.

EasyJet chief executive Andy Harrison said: "This pioneering technology is the silver bullet that will make large-scale ash disruption history."

Andrew Haines, chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority, said: "It is essential that the aviation community works together to develop solutions to minimise disruption should ash return."