PARIS/ FRANKFURT — Travellers in Europe face fresh air traffic disruptions as a volcanic ash cloud that cost airlines millions of euros last month started drifting back to the continent, according to officials.
Air traffic agency Eurocontrol said yesterday areas of higher ash concentration could move from over the Atlantic Ocean back toward the Iberian peninsula, threatening fresh airspace closures in Portugal and Spain.
Europe has been dogged for weeks by repeated shutdowns of air traffic since an erupting volcano under the Eyjafjallajökull glacier in Iceland started spewing ash in April.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled over the weekend after the shifting cloud sparked fresh fears of engine-clogging ash.
Italy and Germany reopened their airspace on Sunday, but restrictions were left in place in parts of Austria, Britain Portugal and Spain.
Spanish airports operator AENA said restrictions would reduce capacity at Madrid, Barcelona and Seville airports by 25 per cent.
At Madrid, landings would be cut to 38 from 46, AENA said in a statement, adding it was working with the Ministry of Defence to use military spaces for commercial use.
The biggest closure so far lasted for almost a week from April 15, causing about 100,000 flight cancellations, stranding millions of passengers and costing airlines more than $1.7 billion in lost revenue.
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