About 50% of normal flights over Europe...

Diego Lopez Garrido, whose country is currently holding the EU rotating chair, told journalists in Brussels on Sunday that 27 test flights held by three European air companies showed volcanic ash caused no damage to planes, although ash clouds remain over a large part of Northern and Central Europe.

The Voice of America quoted KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as saying four planes flew in a normal pattern at a height of 3,000 meters from Amsterdam to Dusseldorf on Sunday. Pilots said the aircraft were not damaged in any way.

Lufthansa carried out ten test flights from Frankfurt to Munich Saturday without incident, and Air France flew several successful flights, VOA said.

However, meteorologists were quoted as saying that unpredictable wind shifts were still possible, which could make flights dangerous.

European transport ministers will hold an emergency teleconference on Monday to review the results of the test flights and decide whether to reopen airspace over

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