[jyl]

From what I've read, the amount of ash is not enough to cause cooling other than local and temporary.

The disruption to flights and travel is huge. Something like $200MM per day in revenue.

42 little kids from Paris spent two weeks at our school, being hosted by our families. They left for home on Thursday, got to Minneapolis, and are now stuck there, in a hotel with two no-doubt-frazzled teachers. Even after the airspace reopens, how long will it take for Delta to find 42 seats on a single flight back to Paris? Can't very well send them in ones and twos. Similar dilemmas are playing out all over the place.