Finnair’s flights from Yekaterinburg to Helsinki and back were cancelled on Friday because of the ash cloud produced by a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Koltsovo Airport’s announcement board stated that the arrival of flight ERJ-190 in Yekaterinburg that was scheduled for 5.55 AM (3.55 AM Moscow time) and the flight’s departure on 6.50 AM (4.50 AM Moscow time) to Helsinki had been cancelled.

The airline explained that the flights were called off because the volcanic eruption in Iceland had made it impossible to fly above Northern Europe.

The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano located within 200 km of Reykjavik, began last Wednesday, releasing an enormous ash cloud in the air and blocking any aerial activity within Northern Europe, RIA Novosti reports.