Airports in Spain and Morocco have been forced to close today as the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland continues to cause misery for air passengers.
About a dozen airports in both the Spanish mainland and the Canary Islands have had to ground flights, while five Moroccan gateways have also shut down.
The closures are affecting outbound services from several UK airports, though there are no imminent plans to restore a no-fly zone over the British Isles.
“There are currently no restrictions within UK airspace,” domestic air traffic controller NATS confirmed.
“We continue to maintain close dialogue with the Met Office and with the Civil Aviation Authority, which agrees no-fly zones based on Met Office data, and will issue any further notice as necessary.”
Pan-European air traffic body Eurocontrol said fears over the ash cloud resulted in 700 fewer flights than normal being operated over European skies this weekend.
The disruption follows news that two Ryanair planes were temporarily grounded on Sunday after tests flagged up traces of volcanic ash in their engines.
