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Airlines and passengers face a slow return to normality as flights resume after a six-day shutdown because of volcanic ash.

Tens of thousands of Britons are still stranded abroad and it could take weeks to get back to business as usual.

Further delays and cancellations are occurring because of the backlog and planes not being in the right place.

Aviation officials lifted the airspace ban on Tuesday night, saying it was now safe for planes to fly.


WEDNESDAY'S FLIGHTS
BA: All long haul flights from Heathrow and Gatwick; some short haul cancellations
Virgin Atlantic: Normal schedule from Heathrow and Gatwick; Passengers booked on 15 April overseas departures also due to return to UK
Thomson: Outbound flights cancelled
Easyjet: Intends to operate 90% of flights
Ryanair: No Northern European flights until 1300 BST on Thursday; No UK-Ireland flights until 1300 BST on Friday
Flybe: Flights from 1300 BST but cancellations expected; 18 morning flights re-scheduled to leave after 1300 BST
*Passengers are advised to contact their airline before travelling to an airport for a flight

For the first time in almost a week, there have been scenes of joy at UK airports with passengers finally arriving home, many with tales of epic journeys.

But the departures and arrivals boards at many airports remain full of cancellations.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis admitted to the BBC that the government had been "too cautious" but said the regulators needed to have time to test the impact of the ash.

Heathrow would normally handle about 1,250 flights on an average Wednesday but there were no departures until 0806BST when an Alitalia flight left for Rome. The first two BA flights have left Heathrow for Tel Aviv and New York.

UK air traffic control body Nats said it had handled 130 flights over England and Wales, and 35 in Scottish airspace, between 0100 BST and 0700 BST on Wednesday.

About 75% of European flights are due to operate on Wednesday, according to the air traffic agency Eurocontrol.

Frances Tuke, spokeswoman for travel body Abta, said the return to normality would be slow and there was also a risk the ash cloud could return.

"The thing to remember is that aircraft and crew are going to be in the wrong place," she said.

I think this is an airlift that is unprecedented but we will make every effort to get our people back home
Willie Walsh
British Airways chief executive

Was the flight ban necessary?
BBC Travel News

"I know for example that some of our tour operators have decided to cancel their programmes going out of the UK in order to reposition their aircraft and crew. It's a huge logistical operation."

British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh said it would take weeks to get back to normal levels of operation.

"We're now at British Airways going to start the difficult task of getting our stranded customers back home. I think this is an airlift that is unprecedented but we will make every effort to get our people back home," he said.


Everyone felt that if the pilot was happy to fly then we were happy to get on
David Jack
Passenger

Passengers relieved at UK return

Aviation analyst John Strickland said budget airlines would have fewer planes in far-flung destinations and may recover more quickly. He also said most people who were booked on flights leaving the UK on Wednesday "would be in luck".

More than 95,000 flights were cancelled across Europe over the past six days, with only a handful of flights taking off and landing at UK airports.

The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull on Thursday sent vast amounts of ash into the atmosphere which poses a threat to aircraft jet engines.

Scientists say the volcano is still erupting but the ash plume is now shrinking, although it remains changeable.

The International Air Transport Association estimated the airlines had lost about $1.7bn (£1.1bn) as a result of the travel disruption. Easyjet put its personal expense at £50m.


ANALYSIS
Pallab Ghosh
By Pallab Ghosh, science correspon