Winds blowing a massive volcanic ash cloud from Iceland could keep lashing Europe until the middle of next week, experts said Saturday, amid hints that the eruption could soon start tapering off. “For the winds of high altitude, we expect more or less the same. The ash will continue to be directed towards Britain and Scandinavia,” said Teitur Arason, a meteorologist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office. “The mass of airborne dust will approach Saturday evening the limits of the Mediterranean and Pyrenees zones,” in southern and southwestern France, Meteo France engineer Michel Daloz said. The colossal ash cloud, which has grounded flights across Europe and stranded millions of travelers around the world, is concentrated at a height of 6,000 meters - precisely the altitude through which commercial airliners fly - rising at points to as high as 11,000 meters, Dalloz said. Disruption of air traffic worsened on Saturday with no landings or takeoffs possible for civilian aircraft in most of northern and central Europe. 14 Saudia planes stranded Around 14 Saudia airplanes are stranded at European airports due to the volcanic ash cloud, says the acting Deputy Director of Saudi Airlines for Public Relations, Ahmad Madani. The European aviation control agency Eurocontrol said it expected about 5,000 flights in European airspace on Saturday, against 22,000 normally. This compared with 10,400 flights against a normal 28,000 on Friday it said, adjusting figures from an earlier statement. The agency said no landings or takeoffs were possible for civilian aircraft in most of northern and central Europe, but flights were taking place in southern Europe, including Spain, the southern Balkans, southern Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Meanwhile, Ireland ordered its airspace closed until 1 P.M. (1200 GMT) on Sunday due to the ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in Iceland, the Irish Aviation Authority said. The IAA said in a statement released Saturday that it had “extended the closure of Irish airspace to commercial traffic until 1300 on Sunday.” US airlines said many flights heading to or from Europe remained canceled Saturday due to the volcanic ash cloud that has spread farther across Europe. The huge cloud halted most European flights and stranded thousands of passengers as an Icelandic volcano continued to erupt. American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp, canceled 56 flights to and from Europe on Saturday, a spokeswoman said. The airline had also canceled 56 flights Friday.
