Volcano cost French tourism $485m

PARIS - France's top tourism official says the ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano cost French airlines, tour operators and travel agencies about 260 million euros ($485m).

France's secretary of state for tourism, Herve Novelli, also says a mediator will be assigned to address claims from travelers seeking to get money back after their plans were stymied.

Novelli said overnight the mediator's team would try to ease tensions between travellers and airlines or travel agencies and set a precedent for dealing with such problems in the future.

Meanwhile, Iceland's Civil Protection Agency said eruptions from Eyjafjallajokull volcano are decreasing and the plume was unlikely to cause further disruption to European airspace, since it too small to reach jet stream.

-AP