HEAD of the Rhodes University Journalism School, Prof Guy Berger, was delayed in Amsterdam due to the recent Icelandic volcano eruption which disrupted flights across northern Europe.
HEAD of the Rhodes University Journalism School, Prof Guy Berger, was delayed in Amsterdam due to the recent Icelandic volcano eruption which disrupted flights across northern Europe.
Eyjafjallajokull erupted for the second time in one month on 14 April, which sent up a plume of ash six kilometres into the atmosphere. The disruption in flights was reported as the worst caused since the World Trade Centre attacks.
Berger, who was invited to launch a book in Amsterdam produced by the World Press Photo Competition organisation, arrived on the same day as the eruption and only managed to leave the following Tuesday night.
“There was a sense of being trapped, of becoming a refugee, dependent on the sympathy of local people to find accommodation and sustenance. The worst was the uncertainty,” he said.
It was just a blur of events after he realised that his flight was cancelled. “I sought out information about flights only to find the airlines and the airports were completely hopeless on their websites and emergency numbers.”
Berger also considered Portugal and Greece in his attempt to come home. “I thought about getting a train to Lisbon or Athens, which would take several days, in order to get a flight home.”
After queuing for hours at the Amsterdam airport, Berger changed his airline ticket to Frankfurt to a train ticket in the hopes of catching the scheduled SAA flight that evening, but on the way there he heard the flight had been cancelled.
“I got off and headed for a friend who lives in Holland. Then I heard there was a Lufthansa flight still on, with standby options. I raced to another Frankfurt train.”
Berger reached an empty airport, but it seemed the flight was still scheduled for takeoff. He then waited until 9.30pm before he found out his standby had been successful.
“People are very helpful in a crisis, but the chaos showed the need for decent information systems.”
Berger is glad to be back at home and the experience has even seen a new addition to his vocabulary.
“It is a great relief to be back. I have however learnt a new swear word – the name of the volcano – which you pronounce age-jaf-julle-yokul.”
