April 22, 2010
Almost all European airspace is open to flights again says Europe’s air traffic control agency.
Eurocontrol says it expects Europe to have at least 28,000 flights Thursday, after a huge cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland turned almost the entire continent into a no-fly zone for six days.
Eurocontrol says flight restrictions remain only in northern Scotland and parts of southern Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Thousands of passengers were stuck in airports and hotels Wednesday. Eurocontrol said the volcanic ash caused about 95,000 flight cancellations since last Thursday.
The International Air Transport Association called the cancellations “devastating,” saying they cost the airline industry almost $2 billion ($1.7 billion) dollars.
The group’s chief, Giovanni Bisignani, urged governments to look at ways to compensate airlines for their losses.
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