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A European commissioner has said "maximum pressure" would be put on airlines to pay passengers hit by the volcano ash disruption.EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said no airline should gain a competitive advantage by ignoring customers' rights to a refund or care.
He put the cost of the crisis to the aviation industry and tour operators at up to 2.5bn euros (£2.2bn; $3.3bn).
He added that there might be a case for state aid to support airlines.
He described the ash, which grounded much of Europe for six days, as "exceptional".
Any payment of state aid to help airlines was down to agreement by member states, he added, but it must be done on a level playing field basis.
Cost
The volcanic eruption on 14 April triggered a shutdown of European airspace, starting with the UK, which acted on scientific advice from the Met Office in London.
The ban on flights in areas affected by volcanic ash was very costly for airlines, many of which now want compensation.
Speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday, Mr Kallas said that the cost of the shutdown to the aviation industry and tour operators was estimated to be between 1.5bn euros and 2.5bn euros.
He said the wider cost to the European economy was difficult to calculate so soon after the event.This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.