AIR passengers faced further disruption to their travel plans after the volcanic ash from Iceland spread into Manx airspace for the third time in May.

At one point Ronaldsway Airport was re-opened only to be closed again one hour later.

Airport Director Ann Reynolds explained: "We had been expecting to be just outside the black no-fly zone but we were inside it."

Manx2.com chairman Noel Hayes said: "We were on the verge of launching two other flights when it was officially announced that the cloud was over us."

Mark Woodward, chief executive for the Steam Packet, said it was good news for the company: "The volcanic ash cloud has once again prompted an increase in ferry travel with the Liverpool sailings on Sunday carrying around double the number of passengers originally forecast."

In April more than 10,000 Island passengers were affected when ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano entered airspace.

It is estimated that the six day disruption that the airport faced cost £60,000.