Airlines lose $1.7 billion, ash blame game begins

BERLIN (AP)— Airlines lost at least $1.7 billion in revenue during the volcanic ash crisis, an industry group said today as the debate heated up over European governments’ handling of a week of airspace closures. Planes were flying into all of Europe’s top airports - London’s Heathrow, Paris’ Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt. Still experts predicted it could take days - even more than a week - to clear a backlog of stranded passengers after about 102,000 flights were canceled around the world.