17,000 flights expected to be lost

LONDON: There were no flights to and from Britain for the second consecutive day on Friday as restrictions around British airspace which has been hit by potentially dangerous volcanic ash drifting in from Iceland were further extended until Saturday.

The National Air Traffic Services (Nats) described the situation as “dynamic and subject to change”.

“We continue to work closely with airports, airlines and the rest of Europe to understand and mitigate the implications of the volcanic eruption,” it said.

The problem appeared to be spreading across Europe with Scandinavian countries looking particularly vulnerable as the wind, carrying the ash, changed direction.

The worst-affected countries in mainland Europe included France, Germany and Poland.