Airlines Out $1.7B as Germany Reopens Airspace

Air controllers lifted all restrictions on German airspace today, as airlines announced they had lost at least $1.7 billion and criticized government actions during the volcanic ash crisis. The head of the International Air Transport Association called the economic fallout from the six-day travel shutdown "devastating" and urged European governments to compensate airlines, as the US did after 9/11. Many airlines have criticized authorities for closing airspace longer than necessary, CNN reports.

London's Heathrow is officially open, but so far planes are only landing, not taking off. Some restrictions remained Wednesday morning over parts of Britain, Ireland and France, as well as over parts of central Europe. And severe delays are still expected across Europe, as airlines pressed to patch together normal flights with airplanes and crews scattered all over the globe. (More Iceland volcano stories.)