LONDON (AP) — A U.K. budget airline will create an artificial volcanic ash cloud over Europe this summer to test ash detection technology. The experiment aims to avoid the kind of chaos that paralyzed air traffic during eruptions three years ago.

Thursday’s announcement was made by easyJet, which acquired a ton of ash collected in Iceland by scientists in the months after the 2010 eruptions for its test. Air travel was virtually suspended for days in Europe and millions of passengers were left stranded because of fears the ash cloud could disrupt plane engines and was too dangerous to fly through.

EasyJet PLC said it is working with Airbus and Nicarnica Aviation, a Norwegian research company, on developing infrared technology fitted to planes that will feed images of an ash cloud to pilots and control operators on the ground. The U.K.-based carrier said the system, which works like a weather radar for ash, will enable pilots to see an ash cloud up to 60 miles ahead of the aircraft. The pilot can then make small adjustments to the plane’s flight path to avoid it.