Stranded passengers head home
Source: Agencies |
April 26, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
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MOST tourists stranded by the volcanic-ash crisis would be home by today although thousands could be stuck for nearly another week, European airlines and government officials said.
A week of air-space closures caused by ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano prompted the worst breakdown in civil aviation in Europe since World War II, with about 100,000 flights canceled.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of Britain's ABTA, which represents British travel agents and tour operators, said about 100,000 stranded British travelers should be home this morning but about 35,000 more would remain marooned until Friday.
Airlines said about 2,000 Belgians were stuck mainly in Egypt and Tunisia and 3,000 French tourists in various destinations.
Austrian Airlines said passengers stuck in Thailand would return home today.
Many Icelandic airports are closed, and though authorities say Eyjafjallajokull is producing much less ash, they confirmed no signs of the eruption ending.
More than 100 volunteers joined Iceland's Red Cross and other agencies over the weekend to help clear ash from farms and houses close to the volcano site, Iceland's Civil Protection Agency said.
In Belgium, Foreign Affairs spokesman Patrick Deboeck said most travelers should be on the way home today.
Elisabeth Manzi, spokeswoman at Scandinavian airline operator SAS, said it was aiming to bring back all stranded passengers over the weekend, but that "a few" may still be left today.
Swedish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Barbro Elm said an estimated 250 Swedes were still stuck in Bangkok as of last Friday.
France's foreign ministry said a small number of French passengers remained grounded in Nepal and about 300 in New Delhi.
Budget carrier easyJet, operating across Europe and North Africa, said airlines were attempting to move 200,000 people back home.
A week of air-space closures caused by ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano prompted the worst breakdown in civil aviation in Europe since World War II, with about 100,000 flights canceled.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of Britain's ABTA, which represents British travel agents and tour operators, said about 100,000 stranded British travelers should be home this morning but about 35,000 more would remain marooned until Friday.
Airlines said about 2,000 Belgians were stuck mainly in Egypt and Tunisia and 3,000 French tourists in various destinations.
Austrian Airlines said passengers stuck in Thailand would return home today.
Many Icelandic airports are closed, and though authorities say Eyjafjallajokull is producing much less ash, they confirmed no signs of the eruption ending.
More than 100 volunteers joined Iceland's Red Cross and other agencies over the weekend to help clear ash from farms and houses close to the volcano site, Iceland's Civil Protection Agency said.
In Belgium, Foreign Affairs spokesman Patrick Deboeck said most travelers should be on the way home today.
Elisabeth Manzi, spokeswoman at Scandinavian airline operator SAS, said it was aiming to bring back all stranded passengers over the weekend, but that "a few" may still be left today.
Swedish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Barbro Elm said an estimated 250 Swedes were still stuck in Bangkok as of last Friday.
France's foreign ministry said a small number of French passengers remained grounded in Nepal and about 300 in New Delhi.
Budget carrier easyJet, operating across Europe and North Africa, said airlines were attempting to move 200,000 people back home.
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