LONDON - Air travel in Europe took a few halting steps toward recovery Tuesday, even as a new cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland began drifting east, threatening further flight delays.
Passenger jets took off to cheers in cities across Northern Europe, where stranded travelers had waited for days to get home. The continent-wide aviation agency Eurocontrol said it expected 13,000 flights through European airspace Tuesday, which would be the most since Friday. The usual daily traffic load is about 28,000 flights.
But the resumption of service was piecemeal as travel restrictions over various parts of the continent stretched into their sixth day. In Britain, some departed from Scotland and Northern England, but in the south, London's Heathrow airport, one of the world's busiest hubs, remained closed for most of the day. Authorities allowed it to reopen late Tuesday.
People are also reading…
Meteorologists said more ash and grit from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano was heading toward the European mainland, raising the possibility of extended or renewed flight bans.
In Germany, Lufthansa Airlines ran intercontinental flights out of various airports, many of them bound for the United States. The carrier said it planned to do so again today and would fly some domestic and European routes.
Air France said it was able to resume 95 percent of its long-haul flights and 25 percent of its medium-haul routes Tuesday. Long-haul service should be fully restored today, as well as nearly all medium-haul flights and half of its domestic ones, the airline reported.
Planes also landed and took off Tuesday from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, another busy European hub.
"There has been a progressive opening of routes and of airspaces," said Brian Flynn, deputy head of operations at Eurocontrol.
The agency said all European airspace above 20,000 feet is open, allowing jets to fly over countries that still maintain restrictions on takeoffs and landings. About 75 percent of the continent has no airspace restrictions.
