The irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said Dublin Airport will remain closed for all commercial flights until 7pm tonight but it has given the go-ahead for Shannon Airport to reopen from 1pm.
Cork airport will also remain closed until further assessments are made later today.
Aviation chiefs said they will provide updates on flight zones and restrictons at 3.30pm.
Ryanair is advising passengers to visit their websites to rebook their flights or apply for a refund. The budget airline is due to resume its flight schedule tomorrow.
Aer Lingus, which has cancelled 1,100 flights since the crisis began, said it is losing between €4-5million a day due to the flight disruption.
Before yesterday's eruption, the IAA had hoped to reinstate some flights on a phased basis, but it warned normal services would not resume for up to four days.
Earlier, some passenger flights took off from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, including one to New York after a decision by EU ministers to reopen parts of the continent's airspace.
Flights from the US to Europe have resumed, despite the ash clouds currently over Ireland, as planes can fly over the affected air at a much higher altitude.
“You can fly over it, but not through it,” said IAA’s Director of Operations, Donie Mooney. He told Newstalk that the authority would continue to closely monitor the situation in the hours ahead.
The Department of Foreign Affairs’ helpline (014082999) has been inundated with calls from an estimated 15,000 Irish citizens left stranded by the ongoing travel crisis. The Air Corps has been put on notice by the HSE to transport patients on UK transplant lists .
For those looking for alternative transport, Bus Eireann has added a new daily service from Dublin to Birmingham/London starting at 7.15am today, seats can be purchased on the company’s website at www.buseireann.ie.
Irish Ferries (08717300400) are urging passengers to book ahead to avoid disappointment and Stena Line ferries (012047799) say they still have room on their services to and from Ireland, though the number of foot traffic places are going fast.
The Irish Times
