U.K. sends warships to repatriate stranded passengers

British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal is about to become a very large Channel ferry.

The British Government has announced plans to help repatriate British travelers stranded by the volcanic ash cloud that has paralyzed northern European aviation.

Two Royal Navy ships, HMS Ark Royal and the amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean, have been deployed to the English Channel to help with the relief effort.

A third ship, the LPD HMS Albion, is sailing to northern Spain to pick up soldiers from 3rd Battalion The Rifles who are returning from serving in Afghanistan.

The U.K. will also be working with Spain to use its airports, which are currently outside the volcanic ash zone, as a hub to repatriate British travelers.

The Government also said that it is working with travel operators to ensure that ferries, and the Eurostar Channel tunnel rail service are operating at a higher capacity to maximize the number of people they can bring home.