Portugal, May 08: An ASH cloud from an Icelandic volcano caused new disruption to air travel in Europe today with Spain shutting down 15 airports and Portugal canceling 104 flights, authorities said.
Spain’s airport authority announced it closed 15 airports in the north of the country because of the risks caused by ash from the Eyjafjoell volcano, which last month caused Europe’s biggest aerial shutdown since WWII.
“The evolution of the volcanic ash cloud coming from Iceland will force the closure from 10:00 GMT of the airports in Bilbao, San Sebastian, Vitoria, Saragossa, Pamplona and La Rioja,” the Spanish air traffic authority Aena said in a statement.
Nine other airports in northern Spain were already shut due to the ash cloud.
The shutdown was expected to last most of the day.
In Portugal, 104 flights were canceled at the airports in the northern city of Porto, Lisbon, and Faro in the south, the Portuguese air traffic authority ANA said.
Dublin-based budget airline Ryanair reportedly canceled flights to Spain and northern Portugal on Saturday.
The ash last month forced the closure of Europe’s skies for up to a week, with more than 100,000 flights canceled and eight million passengers affected.
—Agencies