British airports reopen after ash concerns

LONDON, May 4 (UPI) -- Flights in and out of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic resumed Tuesday after being grounded because of a new volcanic ash threat, officials said.

Airspace over Scotland as well as several airports also were to be reopened after being temporarily closed because of ash drifting from the Icelandic volcano that disrupted European travel for six days in April, the BBC reported.

The decision to lift restrictions followed safety tests that showed airplane engines could operate safely in areas of low-density ash, aviation officials said.

"Our decision to close earlier today was based solely on the safety risks to crews and passengers," the Irish Aviation Authority said in a statement.

Hundreds of flights from a number of airlines flying into and out of several airports in the United Kingdom were canceled Tuesday morning.

The disruption came as European Union transport ministers were meeting in Brussels to discuss ways to improve air traffic management.