With all due respect to the nation of Poland, I don't think it's a good

[hedgehog]

idea for world leaders to risk flying through the ash cloud this week-end to attend the funeral of Polish leaders...killed in a plane crash.

[MiniMe]

1. I'll wait and see if they still go if the volcanic cloud is still over europe

I think they announced Obama's attendance before the latest eruption. With the volcanic cloud, I don't think any of the world leaders will be able to make it.

[hedgehog]

2. I'm afraid that the pressure will be on to risk the flights.

[Warpy]

4. The sensible thing would be to land in the south

and take trains north.

However, time is money for those guys, so yeah, they'll just fly through that ash cloud.

[MiniMe]

9. Obama has cancelled his trip to Poland, the US will be represented by the ambassador

Warsaw, Poland (CNN) -- World leaders' plans to reach Poland this weekend for the funeral of President Lech Kaczynski were in limbo as volcanic ash from Iceland continued to ground flights to and from Europe.

President Obama canceled his trip to Poland because of the ash, the White House said. The United States will be represented at the funeral by the U.S. ambassador to Poland, Lee Feinstein.

"I spoke with acting President Komorowski and told him that I regret that I will not be able to make it to Poland due to the volcanic ash that is disrupting air travel over Europe," Obama said in a statement released by the White House. "Michelle and I continue to have the Polish people in our thoughts and prayers, and will support them in any way I can as they recover from this terrible tragedy."

While French President Nicolas Sarkozy was already in Poland on Saturday and prepared to attend services the next day, other key leaders who planned to attend, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, still faced possible cancellations due to the ash.

...snip

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/17/poland.president.funeral/index.html?hpt=T2

Seems like the sensible thing to do.

[Habibi]

11. I'm glad to know that. Thanks.

[CTyankee]

3. What I wonder about is WHY all those Polish leaders were in a plane together.

It would seem to me that you would at least have separate planes so that they are not all wiped out at once...

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. It is not Poland who decides who comes

they send the invites... standard.

It is the OTHER countries who decide who they send and how.

If the crisis is still there I'd not be too shocked if it is just European leaders who TOOK THE TRAIN

[FarCenter]

6. Although he was nominally "head of state", the number 1 guy, Donald Tusk, Prime Minister is alive

and well.

Send Joe Biden?

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. It's Europe. If flying is hazardous, there's plenty of trains. nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Italy seems about the one country with major airports and airpsace still open

Here’s a screenshot (click to enlarge) taken at 12.15 p.m. (British Summer Time) today of flightradar24.com, which shows live aircraft traffic over Europe. The single plane in British airspace (over the Isle of Man) was a flight from Vancouver operated by Thomas Cook, destined for Glasgow but redirected to Manchester. The Professional Pilots Rumour Network has ceaseless commentary from its members about what is and isn’t going on.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2010/04/16/inigo-thomas/planespotting/

If the site loads (it's very busy), it shows even less outside Italy now. However, Scotland has recently been opened up - though whether that'll last, I don't know.

[MiniMe]

10. Obama has cancelled his trip to Poland, the US will be represented by the ambassador

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/17/poland.president.funeral/index.html?hpt=T2

Warsaw, Poland (CNN) -- World leaders' plans to reach Poland this weekend for the funeral of President Lech Kaczynski were in limbo as volcanic ash from Iceland continued to ground flights to and from Europe.

President Obama canceled his trip to Poland because of the ash, the White House said. The United States will be represented at the funeral by the U.S. ambassador to Poland, Lee Feinstein.

"I spoke with acting President Komorowski and told him that I regret that I will not be able to make it to Poland due to the volcanic ash that is disrupting air travel over Europe," Obama said in a statement released by the White House. "Michelle and I continue to have the Polish people in our thoughts and prayers, and will support them in any way I can as they recover from this terrible tragedy."

While French President Nicolas Sarkozy was already in Poland on Saturday and prepared to attend services the next day, other key leaders who planned to attend, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, still faced possible cancellations due to the ash.