LONDON — Europe began to emerge from a volcanic cloud Monday, allowing limited air traffic to resume and giving hope to millions of travelers stranded around the world when ash choked the jet age to a halt.
Even then, however, the eruption from the Icelandic volcano that caused the five days of aviation chaos was said to be strengthening and sending more ash toward Britain, which could make it unlikely that London airports would reopen today.
Three KLM passenger planes — bound for New York, Shanghai and Dubai, United Arab Emirates — left Schiphol airport in Amsterdam on Monday evening in daylight under visual flight rules.
European Union transport ministers reached a deal during a crisis videoconference to divide northern European skies into three areas: a no-fly zone immediately over the ash cloud; a caution zone “with some contamination” where planes can fly subject to engine checks for damage; and an open-skies zone.
Starting this morning, “we should see progressively more planes start to fly,” said EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas.
But the optimism was tempered Monday night by a statement from the British National Air Traffic Service, which said the eruption of the volcano has strengthened and a new ash cloud was spreading toward Britain.
The service said airspace over some parts of England may be reopened this afternoon but that the open zone for flights may not extend as far south as London, where the country’s main airports are located. It also indicated that Scotland’s airports and airspace can reopen as planned this morning but said the situation in Northern Ireland was uncertain.
Europe’s aviation industry — facing losses of more than $1 billion — criticized official handling of the disruption that grounded thousands of flights to and from the continent. But scientists and pilots urged caution.
“Mixing commercial and safety decisions risks lives,” said Philip von Schoppenthau, secretary-general of the European Cockpit Association, a union representing 38,200 pilots from 36 European nations. “Our members have many firsthand experiences of the extremely abrasive and clogging effects of such clouds.”
Millions of travelers have been stuck since the volcano under Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull glacier began erupting April 14. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said about 40,000 Americans in Britain were stranded, citing Louis Susman, the U.S. ambassador to Britain.
“We are working closely with the State Department to examine all the opportunities that we have to speed this process along,” Gibbs said. “They’re running out of medicine. They don’t have a place to stay.”
As British schools reopened after the Easter break with empty desks and missing teachers — thanks to an estimated 150,000 Britons stranded abroad — authorities resorted to extraordinary measures.
The government said it was sending three Royal Navy warships, including the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, across the English Channel to bring home stranded citizens. One ship was heading to Spain to pick up soldiers trying to get back to Britain after a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the ash cloud had created “the biggest challenge to our aviation transport network for many years,” and European officials said the disruption was worse than that caused by the Sept. 11 attacks.
Tensions boiled over among frustrated passengers at Incheon International Airport in South Korea, where 30 people blocked a Korean Air ticketing counter and demanded officials arrange travel to anywhere in Europe after hearing about the test flights.
“We need a flight, we need a time,” Thierry Loison, who has been stuck at the airport since Friday on the way back to France, told Korean Air officials. “We were like animals this morning.”
Others complained of rail fares that rose suddenly and hotel rates that tripled overnight. Graham Wishart, 65, stuck in London when his flight to Toronto was canceled, said his hotel bill had gone from 68 pounds ($104) to 189 pounds ($289) a night.
“People are raking in dough here from people who are stuck as a result of this natural disaster,” he said. “It’s just not right.”
