Messe München said it has made adjustments to ‘the traffic concept’ at Bauma to cope with the higher number of participants expected to arrive by road. It also said it has hired and trained additional personnel to take inquiries from visitors at unmanned stands. “The vast majority of the 3,150 stands, however, will be staffed by the exhibitors’ own personnel,” Messe München said.
A telephone hotline has been set up to handle inquiries from exhibitors and visitors to Bauma 2010 on +49 (0) 89 949 11348. The hotline will be open between 0800 and 2000CET.
Messe München said for organisational and logistical reasons, ‘it is not possible at this late stage to delay the start or extend the length of the fair’.
“Quite a number of the exhibitors who are reliant on long-haul flights to get to Bauma are affected by the closure of most European airports, and it is expected they will not be able to staff their stands on time,” said Klaus Dittrich, chairman and CEO of Messe München.
“We are in close contact with Munich Airport and the airlines in order to bring these people to Munich as quickly as possible, as soon as the authorities say air travel can resume. From talks with the affected exhibitors, we know that within Europe most have switched to cars or coaches.”
At 1630BST, Munich Airport was reporting that there would be no controlled takeoffs or landings until 0200 local time on 20 April. However, there were positive signs that flight restrictions could be eased with NATS in the UK reporting that airspace over Scotland would reopen at 0700BST on 20 April, with further developments possible throughout the day.
“From 0700 (local time) tomorrow, Tuesday, Scottish airspace will be open, and south to a line between Teesside and Blackpool. Mainland Scottish airports will be open.
“This is a dynamic and changing situation and is therefore difficult to forecast beyond 0700 local; however, the latest Met Office advice is that the contaminated area will continue to move south with the possibility that restrictions to airspace above England and Wales, including the London area, may be lifted later tomorrow (Tuesday).”
UPDATE – Monday 19 April, 0900BST – Bauma starts as scheduled
Bauma has started as scheduled, event organiser Messe München has said.
As European travel delays caused by a volcano in Iceland extend into a fifth day (19 April), Messe München said: “The entire accompanying programme of the trade fair Bauma 2010 will be held as planned.
“Messe München has made every endeavour to minimise the impact of the closed airspace for all exhibitors and visitors of Bauma 2010.”
ORIGINAL – Friday 16 April – Bauma issues volcano response
Bauma organiser Messe München has issued a response to the ongoing travel situation caused by the Icelandic volcano that has played havoc with European and international air travel.
As of 1630GMT (16 April), the notice reports: “German Air Traffic Control and the German Weather Service have announced that air traffic is being impacted significantly by the cloud of ash caused by the eruption of the volcano on Iceland.
“Major parts of the air space and many airports in north and central Europe are closed. In Germany all airports apart from Munich have currently discontinued operations.
“Messe München recommends all exhibitors and visitors travelling by air to…Bauma 2010…to contact the airline they are flying with and, at the same time, keep themselves informed of the current situation via the relevant media.
“No precise forecast can as yet be made as to how the situation regarding European air traffic will develop.”
At the same time, the Munich Airport website was warning that “delays and cancellations with flights in Europe may occur”. The airport was expected to close overnight on Friday (16 April) due to the volcanic ash cloud drifting over Europe.
