Volcanic ash grounds hundreds of European flights

Volcanic ash from Iceland caused widespread disruption at airports in
Britain and other parts of northern Europe on Monday, delaying or
grounding hundreds of flights, reports Reuters.
Airports in Ireland and the Netherlands and the UK have been closed,
over fears that drifting ash could damage jet engines and bring down
aircraft.
The same Icelandic volcano's ash last month prompted a number of
European countries to close their airspaces for nearly a week and
travel chaos ensued in Europe and beyond.
A spokesman for Europe's busiest airport Heathrow, in west London,
said it had reopened at 2 a.m. ET.
"However, delays and cancellations are likely due to restrictions
being applied," the spokesman said.
Gatwick, London's second biggest airport, will remain closed to flight
arrivals until 8 a.m. ET. Nearly 150 arrivals and departures will be
canceled on Monday morning, about half the scheduled total.
Britain's air traffic control body said a no-fly zone was imposed over
much of Britain because the ash cloud was changing shape and drifting.
Airports in Amsterdam and Rotterdam would be closed for at least eight
hours from 6 a.m. (12 a.m. ET) on Monday, Dutch state television
reported, effectively halting most air traffic in and out of the
Netherlands. Other, minor Dutch airports were not affected.
More than 100,000 flights were canceled across Europe last month
because of the volcanic ash forming a cloud over the continent.
Millions of people were stranded and airlines, already battered by the
global economic downturn, lost $1.7 billion, the International Air
Transport Association has said.
At the weekend, North Atlantic flights through Irish-controlled
airspace were unaffected by the latest cloud of ash, with Shannon --
an important stopover for flights to and from the United States --
remaining open.
"The ash cloud is expected to clear the UK during Tuesday as
southwesterly winds become established during Monday," Britain's
Meteorological Office said.