Eurocontrol: Volcanic ash residue restricted to northern Atlantic

Ash cloud restricted to northern Atlantic

BRUSSELS — The European air traffic agency says airspace over the continent is almost completely free of any remnants of the volcanic ash cloud that caused massive flight disruptions over the past week.

Eurocontrol says the ash cloud is restricted to an area between Iceland and the northern tip of Scotland. Flights cross Europe are expected to proceed normally on Friday.

Airliners flying between the United States and Europe are following routes above the area of the ash cloud. At their flight levels of over 30,000 feet (9,000 meters) the planes are far above the no-fly zone, which extends from the surface to 20,000 feet (6,000 meters).