European air traffic returning to normal

The European air traffic control agency said today that it expects no significant disruption of air traffic as a result of volcanic ash in the next 24 hours.

Eurocontrol said that activity from Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano had declined sharply, and air traffic in European airspace was returning to normal.

Earlier in the week ash clouds forced airport closures and hundreds of flight cancellations in Britain, Germany and elsewhere in north-western Europe.

Some ash was projected to linger over parts of northern Scandinavia and northern Russia early on Thursday before dispersing later in the day.