European Airports Close as Iceland Ash Threat Returns

(Bloomberg) -- A cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland continued to drift over the North Atlantic and parts of Europe, prompting air-traffic authorities in Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy to close parts of the countries’ airspace.

The ash cloud also hindered flights to and from Ireland, France and Portugal. The number of flights in Europe today is expected to be around 24,500, about 500 fewer than normal for a Sunday at this time of year, European airspace controller Eurocontrol said in a statement on its website.

A shutdown of European airspace last month because of ash from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano grounded more than 100,000 flights and cost carriers $1.7 billion in lost sales, according to the International Air Transport Association.

“Ash eruptions are still substantially affecting European airspace,” Brussels-based Eurocontrol said in an update at noon local time.

Germany’s air-safety authority closed airspace over Munich and southern parts of the country as of 3 p.m. local time because of contamination from the ash cloud, according to an e- mailed statement. Frankfurt’s airport operator said it is monitoring the ash, and didn’t rule out a possible closure.

Spain’s airport operator Aena said seven airports in the north of the country were forced to close, while Austria’s air traffic authority shut terminals in Vienna, Innsbruck, Linz and Salzburg.

Inaccessible

Airports in the north and center of Portugal were also affected, Eurocontrol said. Milan terminals were inaccessible because of airspace closures, and Pisa and Florence airports were closed, though Venice, Trieste and Rimini remained open.

Italy’s civil aviation authority said airports in northern Italy that had been closed were expected to reopen from 2 p.m., while Spain’s airport operator said three airports in the north of the country would resume flights from 4 p.m.

Ireland’s Aviation Authority said Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Waterford airports will remain open until 1 p.m. tomorrow, while flight restrictions will apply in Donegal and Sligo from 3 p.m. today as a result of the ash cloud.

“There is the risk that the plume may drift again over Irish airspace, and may affect Irish airports, especially on the West Coast,” the Dublin-based IAA said in an e-mailed statement today.

Rerouting

Ryanair Holdings Plc, Europe’s largest discount carrier, said it might cancel flights to and from Bologna, Milan Bergamo, Pisa and Turin today. Flights from Porto, Portugal also may be cancelled, it said in a statement on its website.

The carrier said it would add extra services between Stansted and Tenerife and Dublin and Tenerife today.

Rerouting of flights across the Atlantic to avoid the ash cloud was causing some delays, according to Eurocontrol.

“Transatlantic flights continue to be affected by the ash cloud,” Eurocontrol said. “Flights are required to make significant rerouting to avoid the area of ash-cloud coverage. However, significant numbers of cancellations have not occurred.”

French airspace and airports remained open today after a test flight by Air France yesterday found no ash, the local civil aviation authority said.

Several EasyJet Plc flights from the airport of Marseille Provence in the south of France to U.K. destinations were cancelled today, according to the airport website.

Switzerland didn’t order closures after the Federal Civil Aviation Authority said the density of the new volcanic ash cloud doesn’t pose a risk for aircraft in an e-mailed statement late yesterday.