Airports in the west of Ireland have been reopened as winds push the volcanic ash cloud away from Ireland and out over the Atlantic.

The Irish Airport Authority said that airports would stay open until at least 8pm (ET).

Kevin Humphreys, Director of Safety Regulation for the Irish Airport Authority, reported that the plume of ash and smoke extends from Greenland down to the Iberian Peninsula in Spain down to the Azores Islands and back to Europe.

All passengers traveling have been advised to contact their airline and check the flight schedules, especially for transatlantic flights.

Some efforts are been made by various airlines to combat the backlog of travelers. Ryanair have added extra flights to the Canary Islands following the disruption to their schedule over the weekend.

The Irish Minister for Tourism, Mary Hanafin, will meet with representatives of the industry to review how badly it has been affected by the crisis.

It is believed that the disruption in tourism could be costing Ireland up to $13 million per day.

Minister Hanafin has already rejected the idea that a compensation fund would be set up for tourism businesses following the massive flight disruption.