class="size-full wp-image-16693 alignright" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/NASA.jpg" alt="" width="265" height="212" />Irish airspace will be re-opened at 1pm today (4 May) following a six-hour closure caused by renewed fears of volcanic ash drifting over from Iceland.

All href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk">flights in and out of Ireland were grounded after the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) concluded that the ash plume currently over the country posed a threat to aircraft.

Its decision follows April’s six-day closure of UK airspace, which left thousands stranded overseas and prompted accusations that regulators had overreacted.

Confirming that the Eyjafjallajokull volcano had caused the latest closure, IAA chief executive Eamon Brennan said sporadic disruption could continue for months.

“The reason we have changed our advice is because the ash cloud has moved towards the south, down towards the Bay of Biscay,” he said in an interview with RTE radio.

Mr Brennan continued: “At the moment the volcano is more or less dormant but should it re-erupt again we’d be faced with this problem. We could be faced with this periodically during the summer.

“We are probably facing a summer of uncertainty due to this ash cloud.”

href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/Ryanair/">Ryanair has cancelled all flights to and from the Republic of Ireland, Belfast and Derry City up until 2pm today, while href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/Aer-Lingus/">Aer Lingus plans to review its suspension at 1pm. Just one transatlantic service from Ireland has been cancelled, though passengers are warned to expect long delays.

Airspace over Scotland’s Outer Hebrides is also currently closed, disrupting regional services operating out of Stornoway, Tiree, Barra and Benbecula airports.

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