Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Volcanic Ash From Iceland Continues to Disrupt Air Travel VOA News 18 April 2010 Photo: AP The volcano in southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier sends ash into the air just prior to sunset Friday, April 16, 2010 Air traffic across Europe remains seriously disrupted for a fourth day Sunday as a thick cloud of ash from a volcano eruption in Iceland continues to drift across the continent. The European air traffic agency says wind patterns indicate the eruption is expected to impact aviation worldwide for the next several days.  Meanwhile, the Dutch airline KLM said it has flown a plane through a cloud of volcanic ash without suffering any damage. The airline said it would like to resume flights as soon as possible. European flights were slashed to one-quarter of their usual number Saturday. The cancellations have stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers around the world and are costing airlines hundreds of millions of dollars daily. People have crowded onto trains, buses, ferries and taxis in an effort to carry out their travel plans. Cab companies say they are being paid thousands of dollars to drive people across Europe by car. The shutdown of air travel is the most extensive since the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001.  The volcanic ash includes particles of rock, glass and sand that pose a serious threat to aircraft. In addition to the travel problems, officials are urging people with breathing problems to stay indoors. The volcano in southeastern Iceland began erupting Wednesday for the second time in a month. The volcano had been dormant for nearly 200 years.  The eruption sent a plume of ash several kilometers into the air. Winds pushed the cloud south and east over Europe. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. .