EasyJet is operating 15 rescue flights to and from the UK to bring home passengers whose flights have been cancelled over the last week due to airspace closure.
The airline has chartered additional aircraft over the next few days to collect passengers from the islands and regions where many have been unable to make alternative arrangements.
It will also operate scheduled services with larger aircraft to enable it to carry more passengers.
This will allow the airline to carry an additional 3,000 passengers who are stranded abroad.
The airline resumed 86% of its scheduled operations yesterday, carrying around 140,000 travellers.
Flybe intends to operate most of its flights today (Thursday) but is still cancalling some flights.
More than 500 flights across the entire network will run from 38 UK airports and 32 airports in Europe.
The move comes after the blanket ban that closed the entire UK airspace for almost a week following the Icelandic volcanic eruption was lifted on Tuesday evening.
Chief commercial officer Mike Rutter said: “The unprecedented challenges we’ve had to overcome over the past week have tested the robustness of everyone throughout the aviation industry."
All Loganair flights are cancelled until 13.00 today.
Cathay Pacific has resumed normal services to and from Europe. The airline said it is doing its utmost to bring stranded passengers to their destinations as soon as possible.
Nine flights to Europe and three Hong Kong-bound flights from Europe have departed, carrying more than 3,000 and 1,000 passengers respectively. However, the airline expects it will take weeks to clear the backlog.
Due to the backlog, Cathay will not accept new bookings to Europe before May 6.
In total 37 Emirates flights have departed from Dubai to Europe, including 12 to the UK and seven to Germany
Emirates has advised that all passengers from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth that hold confirmed bookings for travel to the UK, Germany and all other Emirates’ destinations in Europe are being accepted for travel.
Emirates’ customers affected by the disruption can cancel their booking or change their onward destination without charge. All re-issue and cancellation fees will be waived while the disruption is ongoing.
Each day of the disruption has cost Emirates approximately $10 million, while nearly 100,000 people have been disrupted across the carrier’s network on the back of hundreds of flight cancellations.
Singapore Airlines has returned to a full European flight schedule with immediate effect. Customers booked on scheduled flights to and from Europe will be able to travel as planned.
by Phil Davies and Ian Jarrett
