Hundreds of thousands of passengers around the world remain stranded for a third day as European flights were slashed Saturday down to one-quarter of their normal number. The shutdowns are expected to continue for at least another several days.

The European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol said only 6,000 flights would take place in European airspace Saturday - down from the 22,000 normally expected.? On Friday, Eurocontrol said about 16,000 or Europe's usual 28,000 every day flights were cancelled. Airspace in northern Germany was closed until Monday morning.

Southern Europe, including Germany, southern Spain, Greece, & Turkey remains open for flights.

Martin Crozier, senior meteorological officer at the Guernsey Met Office in England, says the volcanic eruption in southeast Iceland that has sent European aviation in to meltdown is showing no sign of easing up.