STILL STRANDED

Water Minister Charity Ngilu and MPs stranded abroad continue to pour out their frustration, as traders counted losses from the volcanic ash cloud over Europe.

Flights have been cancelled and some airports shut due to conditions surrounding movement of layers of the ash.

"I felt like I am in prison. I cannot move yet I have duty waiting for me at home. We are told to wait indefinitely," Mrs Ngilu told The Standard from London.

Meanwhile in Copenhagen, Nominated MP Mohamed Affey, who led a delegation from Parliament to Denmark, said aviation authorities had said KLM could resume flights from Europe on Wednesday, but that has not been confirmed.

"We are still at the mercy of mother nature," he said on the telephone from the Copenhagen International Airport.

He added his delegation could only watch as rich governments made alternative arrangements to ferry their nationals.

Through Spain

"We have received news from the media that other countries, the Chinese and the Americans, are making plans to ferry their nationals from here by train via Spain," he said.

Meanwhile, fresh produce exporters and importers are counting losses, as European airlines remain grounded for the seventh day due to the volcanic ash eruption in Iceland. However, signs the situation could ease soon appeared yesterday when a cargo plane (KLM Boeing 747 Freighter) took the risk and flew to Netherlands (Schiphol Airport), hoping it would be cleared to land.

According to Kenya Airways chief operations officer Bram Stellar, the aircraft was cleared at 1.10 pm after flight tests by KLM and British Airways in the European skies without engine complications.

He said if the plane lands safely, other airlines could take the cue and resume operations. However, passenger planes would be delayed for longer as airlines monitor the situation. Kenya Airways has been losing Sh76m daily due to cancelled flights.