▁the ▁dis ruption . ▁I ATA ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁total ▁loss ▁for ▁the ▁air line ▁industry ▁was ▁around ▁US $ 1 . 7 ▁billion ▁( £ 1 . 1 ▁billion , ▁€ 1 . 3 ▁billion ). ▁The ▁Airport ▁Oper ators ▁Association ▁( A O A ) ▁estimated ▁that ▁air ports ▁lost ▁£ 8 0 ▁million ▁over ▁the ▁six - and - a - half ▁days . ▁Over ▁ 9 5 , 0 0 0 ▁fl ights ▁had ▁been ▁cancel led ▁all ▁across ▁Europe ▁during ▁the ▁six - day ▁air space ▁ban , ▁with ▁later ▁figures ▁suggesting ▁ 1 0 7 , 0 0 0 ▁fl ights ▁cancel led ▁during ▁an ▁ 8 - day ▁period , ▁account ing ▁for ▁ 4 8 % ▁of ▁total ▁air ▁traffic ▁and ▁roughly ▁ 1 0 ▁million ▁passengers . ▁ ▁Background ▁▁ ▁The ▁London ▁Vol can ic ▁Ash ▁Ad vis ory ▁Centre ▁( VA AC ) ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁providing ▁information ▁about ▁the ▁ash ▁pl ume ▁to ▁the ▁relevant ▁civil ▁av iation ▁authorities ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁Vol can ic ▁Ash ▁Ad vis ories ▁( V AA ). ▁On ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁this , ▁the ▁authorities ▁made ▁dec isions ▁about ▁when ▁and ▁where ▁air space ▁should ▁be ▁closed ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁safety ▁issues . ▁Their ▁dec isions ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁can cell ations ▁of ▁fl ights ▁at ▁air ports ▁across ▁the ▁world , ▁not ▁only ▁in ▁those ▁countries ▁where ▁air space ▁was ▁restricted . ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁