Passengers And Airfreight Still Grounded

The Irish Exporters' Association has said that €95m worth of exports are being held up every day by the continuing air restrictions.

The news comes as forecasters said a cloud of volcanic ash across Europe shows some signs of moving towards the northeast.

Chief Executive John Whelan said exporters were hiring trucks to take goods to southern Europe where airports are still open.

However, he said valuable exports to the US and Asia were being seriously disrupted.

Meanwhile, European officials have expressed hope that up to half of all flights across the continent could start to operate soon although the Irish Aviation Authority has closed airspace across the State until 6pm.

But, after talks with air traffic agency Eurocontrol, officials said they were hopeful that up to 50% of flights across Europe could operate.

However, the Deputy Head of Operations at Eurocontrol, Brian Flynn, said that while half of the European landmass could be clear of ash cloud that did not mean that half of the flights could operate.

There is continuing pressure for action as the airline industry has called for a review of the restrictions that have closed 80% of European airspace and led to the cancellation of 63,000 flights since last Thursday.

A number of European airlines have carried out test flights at high altitudes and reported no problems with volcanic ash.

But a scientific test flight over Britain concluded that the situation could be 'very dangerous'.

There are hopes though of progress as European transport ministers are due to hold a special video conference later to discuss the travel chaos.

The agenda could include a suggestion by Spain that its airports be used as an entry point into Europe for passengers stranded in America or Asia, who could continue their journey by train, boat or coach.

Spanish airspace was closed for a time over the weekend but it has since reopened.

The Spanish government has said it will give as many flight authorisations as it is capable of handling in order to assist stranded British travellers return home.

Spain, one of the rare countries operating normally through the air crisis, has proposed a similar service to France and Germany who between them have hundreds of thousands of passengers stuck around the world.

Spain's Transport Minister Jose Blanco said that Spain was already working with the British government "to facilitate the 70,000 people from Britain who are in North America getting home through Spain".

In the UK, there are imaginative plans to use the Royal Navy to bring people home from abroad, although, so far, thee is little or nor detail on the far-reaching and highly complex proposal.

(BMcC/GK)