The eruption of an Icelandic volcano is expected to cause more havoc to air travel across Europe over the coming days.
It is expected that almost 17,000 flights will be cancelled today across Europe due to the dangers posed by volcanic ash being emitted from the eruption, according to washingtonpost.com.
In Australia, Qantas said it will not resume flights to Europe and the UK, the area hit hardest by the ash cloud, until Sunday.
Britain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Norway and Sweden have already banned commercial flights in the most extensive shutdown of airspace since the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
Eurocontrol, the European aviation control agency, said out of the 28,000 flights that travel through European airspace on an average day, only 11,000 are expected to operate on Friday.
Airspace was closed over Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Estonia and the north of France, including all Paris airports.
Airports in northern Germany and parts of Poland, as well as in Northern Czech, also remain closed.
Britain’s air traffic control body said that all English airports will be closed until 8pm EDT today.
London’s Heathrow airport, which handles nearly 180,000 passengers a day, will receive no flights until further notice.
Germany’s Frankfurt airport said it will suspend flights from 2am EDT.
Flights to various European destination have either been cancelled or delayed by airlines across Asia and the Middle East.
Singapore Airlines has cancelled flights to London, Munich, Manchester and Amsterdam, and services from Singapore to London.
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