European air disruption worsens: Eurocontrol

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Disruption of air traffic because of the spread of volcanic ash from Iceland worsened on Saturday with no landings or takeoffs possible for civilian aircraft in most of northern and central Europe.

The European aviation control agency Eurocontrol said it expected about 5,000 flights in European airspace on Saturday, against 22,000 normally. This compared with 10,400 flights against a normal 28,000 on Friday it said, adjusting figures from an earlier statement.

The agency said no landings or takeoffs were possible for civilian aircraft in most of northern and central Europe, but flights were taking place in southern Europe, including Spain, the southern Balkans, southern Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.

"Forecasts suggest that the cloud of volcanic ash will persist and that the impact will continue for at least the next 24 hours," the agency said in a statement earlier in the day.

The agency said that of the 300 transatlantic flights that would usually arrive in Europe on a Saturday, only 73 flights arrived in the morning, when most are scheduled to land.

It said that in some of the areas affected, upper airspace had become available, but it was difficult to access this as in most cases surrounding areas were contaminated by the ash cloud.

The agency said it would issue its next update at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT) on Sunday.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom, editing by Mark Trevelyan)