Air France-KLM reported a 15.9 per cent slump in traffic in April due to airport closures imposed by the volcanic ash from Iceland that engulfed much of Europe. Operations were almost completely suspended 16-19 April following the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokul volcano. The airline group said the affect on cargo traffic was minimal, with a drop of just 2 per cent in April, since most goods were stocked until flights resumed.

Despite putting on additional flights in a bid to repatriate customers, the disruptions cost Air France-KLM €35 million per day in operating income for all suspended operations, the company said.

Last month’s travel chaos forced the closure of much of Europe’s airspace, causing airlines direct losses of more than €1 billion according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).