Kuoni counts cost of volcano turmoil

Switzerland’s largest tour operator, Kuoni, says travel disruption caused by the erupting volcano in Iceland has cost it around SFr18 million ($16.7 million).

Switzerland closed its airspace for several days to protect aircraft from the cloud of volcanic ash spreading across Europe from Iceland. Even after it was reopened on Tuesday, a number of flights still had to be cancelled.

The costs will be incorporated into Kuoni’s quarterly figures.

Kuoni said almost all its 7,500 clients with a travel package had been able to return home within a week of the start of the problems. A total of 15,000 customers were unable to fly as planned after flight cancellations.

Swissport, which services planes on the ground, said it had lost SFr15 million through its activities worldwide.

The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull on April 14 led to a five-day flight ban over Europe, resulting in almost 100,000 cancelled flights and millions of stranded passengers worldwide.

swissinfo.ch and agencies