Ash clears over Europe; airports operate normally

BRUSSELS: European airports were operating normally on Monday after a plume of volcanic ash that disrupted flights and forced some airports to close over the weekend dispersed, aviation officials said.

But delays were expected because another band in the mid-Atlantic was still blocking the air routes between Europe and North America, the European air traffic agency Eurocontrol said.

``While most of these flights are operating, many are having to make significant re-routings to avoid the area of ash cloud coverage, resulting in delays,'' according to a statement from the agency.

Air traffic charts showed that airliners on both the westward and eastward tracks across the Atlantic were being diverted far to the north, over Greenland, to avoid the danger zone around the Icelandic volcano whose eruptions forced a five-day suspension of air traffic in Europe last month.

The resulting travel chaos saw the cancellation of more than 100,000 flights, stranding passengers around the world and causing airlines direct losses of more than euro1 billion ($1.3 billion).

Eurocontrol said all airports in Europe were operating normally, including Spanish airports. Up to 20 airports in Spain, including international hub Barcelona, had closed over the weekend. Lisbon airport also reopened after being forced to close Sunday.

Eurocontrol says it expects approximately 28,500 flights to take place within Europe, less than 500 below the average for this time of year.