Hundreds of flights cancelled
Monday, 10 May 2010
LISBON, May 9 (AFP): Hundreds of flights at airports from Lisbon to Munich were cancelled Sunday and some European airspace was closed because of a volcanic ash cloud from Iceland that caused air travel chaos last month.
All flights to the city of Porto in northern Portugal and the Azores were suspended, with normal operations expected to resume by 0600 GMT Monday, airport officials there said.
In all more than 200 flights were grounded in Portugal, including 71 at Lisbon's airport, where Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive on Tuesday for a four-day visit to the country.
The Vatican said Sunday the pontiff's trip was still on schedule despite the air traffic disruptions.
"At the present time, we expect no change to the programme" of the pope's visit, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told AFP.
All flights to the city of Porto in northern Portugal and the Azores were suspended, with normal operations expected to resume by 0600 GMT Monday, airport officials there said.
In all more than 200 flights were grounded in Portugal, including 71 at Lisbon's airport, where Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive on Tuesday for a four-day visit to the country.
The Vatican said Sunday the pontiff's trip was still on schedule despite the air traffic disruptions.
"At the present time, we expect no change to the programme" of the pope's visit, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told AFP.