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Weather events such as snowstorms and thunderstorms can temporarily create major disruptions. Aircraft seek, for instance, to exploit (or avoid) upper atmospheric winds, in particular the jet stream, to enhance speed and reduce fuel consumption. Volcanic eruptions may also impede air travel by releasing ash in the atmosphere, which can damage and even shot down turbofan engines. Such occurrences are however rare and punctual, with the exception of April 2010 when a volcanic eruption in Iceland forced the closing down of airports in most of Europe as well as several North Atlantic routes. This represented the largest natural disruption of air travel in history