Let's toast Manchester businessman Martin Abramson who made it to Israel for Yom Ha'atzmaut, despite the flight embargo caused by the volcanic ash cloud.

While thousands of Israeli and other passengers were grounded, he took to the dusty skies in a tiny single-engined Piper Saratoga, which bore him from Pannshanger Airfield in Hertfordshire to Madrid in time to catch an El Al flight.

His pilot was former JNF chief executive Simon Winters who said: "I love flying and was pleased to be able to assist in a friend's hour of need."

It took them five hours to reach Madrid.