MANHATTAN — Just as the skies over Europe were beginning to clear, bringing hope to thousands of stranded travelers on both sides of the Atlantic, a new cloud of volcanic ash spewed and threatened to choke air travel again.
European aviation officials began to ease back on six days of tight flight restrictions following the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland that sent jet engine-clogging ash into the skies over Europe. Early Tuesday, more than half of scheduled European flights had been cleared for take off, the New York Times reported.
Overseas flights from London were expected to resume Tuesday afternoon, the Times reported.
News of the resumption of flights was great news for weary travelers, many of whom had been sleeping on cots and eating take-out at JFK for days.
"Thank God I'm home!" Phyllis Ferguson, of Queens, told the New York Post after she landed Monday night at JFK from Amsterdam.
But conditions could change Tuesday with word of a new ash cloud.
"[T]he volcano eruption in Iceland has strengthened and a new ash cloud is spreading south and east towards the UK," National Air Traffic Systems, Britain's leading air traffic service provider, said in a statement. "This demonstrates the dynamic and rapidly changing conditions in which we are working. "
"The situation regarding the volcanic eruption in Iceland remains dynamic and ... the situation today will continue to be variable," NATS said.
Meanwhile, in New York, officials warned frustrated travelers to remain patient.
"We're urging you, please don't rush to the airports," Port Authority Chairman Christopher Ward told the Daily News. "Check with your airlines and make sure you are fully booked."
Also, city officials revised their predictions for how much tourism revenue would be lost due to the volcano.
On Monday, that number was $250 million. But by Tuesday, the total was down to $50 million, with officials predicting that many canceled trips would be rescheduled, the News reported.
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