Airports throughout the world today remain either closed or filled with passengers hoping to get to points in Northern Europe. Here's the latest on the aftermath of the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano:

European authorities were set late Monday to ease flight restrictions that have brought air traffic in Northern Europe to a standstill for nearly a week.

The ruling raised hopes that the worst of the crisis might be passing. But there were still reasons for concern.

"The volcano eruption in Iceland has strengthened and a new ash cloud is spreading south and east towards the U.K.," the U.K.'s National Air Traffic Services reported. Still, more U.K. airports were expected to open Tuesday, with Scottish airports opening at 6 a.m. GMT.

A Monday agreement by EU regulators would divide European airspace into three zones, and allow progressively more flights in those zones, depending on the behavior of the ash cloud.

EU Lawmakers Gather in Emergency

The decision followed an extraordinary meeting of European lawmakers in the wake of thousands of flight cancellations.

With most airports in Northern Europe still shut down and flights throughout the region drastically curtailed, European Union lawmakers were gathering Monday in a special session aimed at curtailing losses to the continent's economy. They met as criticism of the airspace closures grew from the airline industry.

The meeting got under way as Europe endured a fifth day of travel disruption caused by volcanic ash.

More than 75,000 flights have been canceled in the past week, and European politicians have come in for criticism by some in the airline industry, for whom the cancellations have had a devastating impact.

Only 30 percent of the continent's scheduled flights were actually expected to take place Monday.

But Deutsche Lufthansa, the German carrier, has received permission to bring about 50 flights home to Germany from Asia, Africa, and North and South America. They will be landing at Frankfurt, Munich, and Duesseldorf. Among the U.S. cities the carrier will be flying from are Denver, Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Orlando, Miami, and Seattle.

Meanwhile, U.S. airlines are also taking hits from the European disaster. Here's a look at the revenue U.S. airlines are losing every day in the disaster:

• Delta—$10.4 million loss in revenue with an operating loss of $6.5 million
• United—$8.4 million loss in revenue with an operating loss of $5.2 million
• American—$7.6 million loss in revenue with an operating loss of $4.6 million
• Continental—$5.6 million loss in revenue with an operating loss of $3.4 million
• US Airways—$3.7 million loss in revenue with an operating loss of $2.2 million

Read more: Analyst: Volcano delays could cost American millions—Dallas Business Journal:

Air Force Detours

Planners with U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base worked overtime last week and over the weekend to coordinate alternative routes to fly wounded military members out of Iraq and Afghanistan while dodging the volcanic ash over Europe, the St. Louis Business Journal reports.

Instead of taking injured soldiers to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, flights transporting injured service members were rerouted starting Friday through Balad, Iraq, or Italy and then on to Andrews Air Force Base and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, or the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, said Major James Lowe, deputy chief of public affairs for U.S. Transportation Command.

The detours tack on about 10 hours, turning six- or seven-hour trips into 16- or 17-hour flights, he said.

“Our medical planners worked some extra hours and reserve support that helps use additional man hours over the weekend,” Lowe said.

Shutdowns Widespread, Costs Mount

French, German, and United Kingdom airports remained closed, and the National Air Travel Service of the U.K. said British airspace would remain off limits until at least early Tuesday.

That latest news comes as criticism mounts of European governments' handling of the ash emergency.

“We are far enough into this crisis to express our dissatisfaction on how governments have managed it—with no risk assessment, no consultation, no coordination, and no leadership. This crisis is costing airlines at least $200 million a day in lost revenues, and the European economy is suffering billions of dollars in lost business. In the face of such dire economic consequences, it is incredible that Europe’s transport ministers have taken five days to organize a teleconference,” said Giovanni Bisignani, the International Air Transport Association's director general and CEO.

In all, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation estimates, the cost of what it calls the ash attack to the worldwide aviation industry could reach $2 billion.

"Several European airlines are already discussing emergency staff layoffs. The U.S. airline industry received massive government financial support in the wake of September 11. Similar emergency support should now be a priority for European governments, but timing is hardly propitious, as government struggle to reconcile massive debt burdens accrued last year," the association says on its website.

A Hint of Hope

Airports throughout southern Europe—notably in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Balkans, and Bulgaria—were open on Monday. On Sunday, European Union officials hope that air traffic in Europe might be able to return to half capacity.

Joe Brancatelli, Portfolio.com's Seat 2B business travel columnist, said that despite the movement at some airports, "for all intents and purposes, Monday will remain a wash."

Brancatelli noted that the region's busiest airports remained closed: London, Paris, and Amsterdam. Airlines like Lufthansa and Finnair have canceled all flights, while Aer Lingus canceled all flights to and from Dublin.

Airlines Questioning Safety Warning

Maybe it’s the fact their jets have been grounded for days. Or perhaps it’s the reality that insurance won’t cover them for losses caused by a volcano. Or maybe the anger of passengers trapped in their countries’ airports has gotten to them. Whatever it is, European airline officials are now starting to question the decision to shut such wide swaths of airspace.

Several airlines conducted experiments over the weekend to see if the potential ash cloud was as bad as officials made it out to be. Air France said it successfully carried out several tests over French airspace on Sunday. KLM, the Dutch airline, said it, too, safely flew an aircraft through a window in the cloud of volcanic ash. Other airlines reported to be carrying out tests include Lufthansa and British Airways.

"With the weather we are encountering now—clear blue skies and obviously no dense ash cloud to be seen, in our opinion there is absolutely no reason to worry about resuming flights," said Steven Verhagen, a KLM pilot and vice president of the Dutch Airline Pilots' Association. "We are asking the authorities to really have a good look at the situation, because 100-percent safety does not exist. It's easy to close down air space because then it's perfectly safe. But at some time you have to resume flights."

British Hatch Plan to Rescue Their Own

The British are turning to their own Navy’s ships to rescue stranded passengers. At least three ships—the HMS Ark Royal, the HMS Ocean, and the HMS Albion—will cross the English Channel to retrieve those stuck on the other side.

Another emerging solution for Brits, whose airports have been completely shut down and who likely will be among the last to have their airspace reopen, is to use Spanish airports as an international hub, according to the BBC. Aside from canceling flights to destinations in Northern Europe, Spain has been unaffected by the ash.

What's Happening With the Volcano

Scientists in Iceland are hoping that eruptions at the Eyjafjallajokull volcano are shifting from ash to lava. New tremors shook the area around the volcano Monday, a reminder that the geological event has not passed.

"The situation is definitely better than it was, particularly on Saturday, which was a difficult day for us due to heavy ash fall just south of the volcano," Reuters quoted Urdur Gudmundsdottir, a spokeswoman at Iceland’s foreign ministry, as saying.

The appearance of lava suggests that the eruptions are shifting to a less volatile stage, but there’s also the chance that molten rock could create new areas for water to run down, thereby creating more ash.

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