Global finance chiefs meeting on despite travel chaos

WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - This weekend's meeting of global finance leaders in Washington will go on as scheduled despite air travel disruptions caused by a volcanic cloud over Europe, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank said on Tuesday.

"We intend to move forward with the Spring Meetings as planned. In the event that severe travel disruptions continue, we are preparing contingency plans to permit governors and members affected to participate in the meetings via videoconferencing," the IMF and World Bank said in response to press inquiries.

European airports started to return to life on Tuesday after five days cut off from the rest of the world by volcanic ash spewed from an Iceland volcano, as authorities downgraded the risk the ash posed to aircraft.

The cloud forced several world leaders to rearrange travel plans. U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others canceled trips to Poland for the funeral last Sunday of Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

(Reporting by JoAnne Allen; Editing by Eric Beech)

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