Germany’s aviation authority broke the flight deadlock today, granting Lufthansa an exemption to fly 50 long-haul planes carrying 15,000 passengers back home below the cloud of volcanic ash hanging over Europe.

Commercial planes are to get new European landing procedures to reduce their carbon dioxide output, it was announced today.

RYANAIR carried 19% more passengers last month despite worldwide airline passenger growth hitting a five-year low in June.

The world’s airlines will collectively lose more than £1bn (€1.3bn) this year because of rocketing fuel prices, experts forecast today.

China is expected to be the world’s fastest-growing market for air travel as the world’s airlines look for global growth in passenger traffic of 6% annually over the next four years, the trade association said today.