By Mariel S. Clark
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — An ash cloud from an erupting volcano in Iceland continued to ground flights and strand passengers — including the Prime Minister of Norway — at New York area airports, Friday.
Major airports in cities including London, Paris, Dublin, Frankfort and Oslo have experienced major delays and cancellations because of the volcano, which began erupting Wednesday.
International flights from area airports to the affected areas were canceled or delayed, including the flight of Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stotlenberg, who was stuck at John F. Kennedy International Airport after traveling from Oslo for President Obama's nuclear summit, according to the Daily News.
Stotlenberg continued to conduct his country's operations via iPad, the paper reported.
More than half of all flights in and to Europe were canceled, according to media reports.
Twitter was abuzz with stories of canceled flights, stranded passengers and "indefinite delays" during what has been the largest disruption to flights since the Sept. 11 attacks.
"Never made it to Rome thanks to Icelandic volcano. One night in NY with a return flight to SFO. People sleeping on camp cots in JFK," tweeted Aidworkerdaily.
Some airlines booked hotel rooms for stranded travelers, according to the New York Post.
The volcano, located under Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier, propelled a cloud of volcanic ash 30,000 feet into the air, according to media reports.
The volcano's ash cloud, which has the potential to jam airplane engines, had drifted over England and would continue to spread over more of Europe and Russia, meteorologists said.
As of Friday morning, UK aviation authorities had extended a flight ban over England and Wales into Saturday morning.
