Out of Prague: a week-long intermodal shift from air to rail transport after Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 2010

In April 2010, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull considerably disrupted air travel across Europe. The grounding of air transport forced passengers to cancel journeys or find alternative means of transport. We analyse short-term intermodal shifts as a reaction to sudden changes in air transport availability. The question addressed is whether, and in what capacity, air passengers used railways when Prague International Airport was closed. To compare the degree of intermodal shift in Prague for particular European destinations during the closure, we calculated an InterModal Shift Index. We concluded that approximately 20% of passengers travelling to neighbouring countries and 6% of passengers travelling to more distant European destinations chose rail as an alternative. Following the airport closure, travellers were willing to choose rail transport as an alternative, but this willingness varies for different countries and areas.