Hundreds of flights hit as ash reaches Britain

Barely a year after a similar eruption in Iceland forced the biggest closure of European airspace since World War II, British Airways was the first to suspend flights from London to Scotland.

Dutch airline KLM, Ireland's Aer Lingus and budget airline easyJet followed suit, while air traffic authorities warned disruption from the Grimsvotn volcano could spread to airports in northern England and Northern Ireland.

“Most airlines have canceled flights today — 252 flights,” said Brian Flynn, head of operations at the Brussels-based Eurocontrol.

Low-cost airline Ryanair however flew a plane through Scottish airspace and said they detected no ash on the aircraft, hitting out at British and Irish authorities for over-reacting.

The ash cloud also caused minor air traffic disruption in Norway and closed a small part of Denmark's airspace, and Eurocontrol warned that the ash cloud could continue southwards to France and Spain.

Authorities say the ash can damage planes and stop engines.

The growing chaos threatens planning for events ranging from the G-8 summit to the Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United which takes place at London's Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Spanish giants Barcelona said the squad would fly to London on Tuesday, two days earlier than planned, due to the “uncertainty” caused by the volcano.

Europe's transport commissioner Siim Kallas played down fears that the situation could get as bad as 2010, when thousands of travelers from around the world were left stranded.

“We do not at this stage anticipate widespread airspace closure and prolonged disruption like we saw last year,” Kallas told a news conference.

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Iceland's Meteorological Office said activity at the volcano had slowed Tuesday and the ash plume had overnight dropped from its peak of 20 kilometers (12 miles) to between three and five kilometers in altitude.

“It's much less strong than on the first day,” on Saturday, Olof Baldursdottir, a spokeswoman for the agency, told AFP.

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