Airlines lose $1.7 billion, ash blame game begins

BERLIN -- Airlines lost at least $1.7 billion in revenue during the volcanic ash crisis, an industry group said Wednesday as the debate heated up over whether European governments were justified in shutting down their airspace for so long. Planes are flying into all of Europe's top airports. Still experts predicted it could take more than a week to clear a backlog of stranded passengers after about 102,000 flights were canceled around the world.