Travelers Again Scramble To Re-Book Flights

Britain's Civil Aviation Authority re-opened Heathrow and Gatwick airports Monday morning, after closing them Sunday night due to another shot of volcanic ash from Iceland.

The closure caused passengers bound for the UK to scramble for alternative arrangements and left what was described as "chaos" in flight timings.

Eurocontrol said in a news release that about 1,000 flights were cancelled for Monday, out of some 29,000 across Europe on a normal day. USA News Week reports that the civil aviation authority in Britain has imposed no-fly zones over northern Ireland, as well as Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness, and Cardiff in Wales.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said "The government is carefully monitoring this situation, and the safety of passengers will remain our paramount concern." He urged air travelers to check with their airlines before going to airports, as conditions could change at any time.

The disruptions are being caused by the ongoing eruption of a volcano beneath the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland. It has been actively erupting since April 12th, and has caused air travel disruptions across Europe in the ensuing month.

FMI: www.eurocontrol.int, www.dft.gov.uk