Developments in volcanic ash affecting air travel

By the CNN Wire Staff

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Almost all European airspace is available, with a few exceptions
Disruption still affecting parts Finland, Norway, Scotland, and Sweden
IATA estimates volcano crisis had cost airlines $1.7 billion in lost revenue

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(CNN) -- Eurocontrol, the air traffic agency, expects traffic to be at normal levels on Thursday -- between 28,000 and 29,000 flights.

-- A small number of cancellations can be expected due to some limited restrictions and the logistical problems of airlines resuming their regular schedules.

-- Almost all European airspace is available, with a few exceptions in parts of Southern Finland, southern Norway, northern Scotland, and western Sweden.

-- On Wednesday, there were 22,189 flights in European airspace --almost 80 percent of normal traffic levels.

-- The International Air Transport Association estimates that the Icelandic volcano crisis had cost airlines more than $1.7 billion in lost revenue through Tuesday -- six days after the initial eruption. At its peak, the crisis impacted 29 percent of global aviation and affected 1.2 million passengers a day.

Latest travel picture by country:

Russia

-- The country's transport ministry reported flight delays or cancellations only at three airports: two in Moscow and one in St.Petersburg.

-- At Moscow's international Sheremetyevo airport there were four cancelled flights, affecting 267 passengers. All of them have been either transferred to other flights, or have been offered different means of transport, or got their tickets refunded.

-- All in all, 10 flights were cancelled affecting 974 people (compared to 32 flights affecting 2,201 people on Wednesday).

Denmark

--Danish airspace was opened at 7 a.m. (1 a.m. ET), according to the Danish Naviair authority. Copenhagen Airport was up and running with traffic not yet at normal levels but increasing, the authority said.

Twitter travel updates

Norway

--Most of Norway's airspace was open Thursday but on the west coast most airports remained closed, Norwegian air traffic control service AVINOR said. Bergen and Stavanger airports were closed. Oslo remained open.

Sweden

--Eight of 14 airports remained closed Thursday but Stockholm and Lillehammer were open, Swedish airspace operator Swedavia said.