BRUSSELS, April 18 (Reuters) - The European aviation control agency Eurocontrol said about 5,000 flights took place in European airspace on Sunday compared with 24,000 normally, due to the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
It said air traffic control services were not being provided to civil aircraft in most European airspace, but flights were taking place in southern Europe, including Spain and Portugal, the southern Balkans, southern Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.
It said the latest map of the observed and forecast area of possible ash contamination 'indicates some positive evolution in the coming hours', but did not elaborate.
Eurocontrol's figures compared with 4,886 flights on Saturday. It said earlier that a total of 63,000 flights had been cancelled in European airspace since Thursday.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom) Keywords: EUROPE AIR/SUNDAY (david.brunnstrom@reuters.com ; +32 2 287 6839; Reuters Messaging: david.brunnstrom.reuters.com@reuters.net ) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
It said air traffic control services were not being provided to civil aircraft in most European airspace, but flights were taking place in southern Europe, including Spain and Portugal, the southern Balkans, southern Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.
It said the latest map of the observed and forecast area of possible ash contamination 'indicates some positive evolution in the coming hours', but did not elaborate.
Eurocontrol's figures compared with 4,886 flights on Saturday. It said earlier that a total of 63,000 flights had been cancelled in European airspace since Thursday.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom) Keywords: EUROPE AIR/SUNDAY (david.brunnstrom@reuters.com ; +32 2 287 6839; Reuters Messaging: david.brunnstrom.reuters.com@reuters.net ) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.