TAP has restarted flight operations to all European destinations following the total reopening of the airspaces that had been closed for over five days because of the volcanic ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull. Even so, between midnight last night and midday today, 94 flights were cancelled, 35 of them at Faro airport.

Following the announcements by the United Kingdom, Germany and Denmark that they were reopening their airspace, things have begun to get back to normal for passengers on the ground and it is estimated that they will soon be able to return home.

Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, estimates that, yesterday, 13 thousand of the 28 thousand flights that would have operated in Europe on a normal day actually took off.

As an example, low-cost carrier Ryanair has announced that it will be operating an extra flight from Dublin to Faro and back tomorrow (see times below).

Nevertheless, the airlines say that it will take several days or even weeks to recover from delayed and cancelled flights and restore traffic to normal, not least because of restrictions in European air traffic that could lead to flight delays.

Meanwhile, a number of measures have been taken on the ground to assist stranded passengers. The authorities in the Algarve have today opened a special information desk at the airport manned by representatives from ANA–Aeroportos de Portugal (the firm that manages Portuguese airports), the Civil Government for the District of Faro, and the Algarve Tourist Board. The aim of the initiative is to provide support and guidance for passengers seeking help with food, medical care and temporary lodging. The Algarve Regional Health Board is also involved and has created the means for supplying prescription drugs to passengers who need regular medication.

ANA also said in a press release this morning that, from today, the help desks in Portuguese airports have information on the availability of trains and coaches to European destinations. Staff from Portuguese Railways and INTERSUL are on hand in a joint effort with the ARP, ANTROP and the Institute for Mobility and Land Transport.

Timetable for the extra Ryanair flight (Dublin-Faro-Dublin):

FR 001 DUB-FAO 05h30-08h20 FR 002 FAO-DUB 08h45-11h25