Watch CBS News

Report: Volcano Ash Cloud Costs U.S. $650 Million

This aerial photo shows a plume of ash rising from the volcano in southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier, Monday, April 19, 2010. AP Photo/Jon Gustafsson

While the eruption of an Icelandic volcano appears to primarily affect airlines and passengers waiting for flights in and out of Europe to resume, the U.S. Travel Association estimates that the ash cloud produced by the eruption has cost the U.S. economy $650 million, approximately $130 million per day.

That kind of loss to the economy affects the cashflow to fund about 6,000 American jobs, the association said. Every international flight bound for the U.S. is worth an average of $450,000 in spending from travelers, which the association says pays for five jobs per flight.

"While safety must always be the primary consideration, economies, particularly those recovering from recession, cannot afford an overreaction that stifles travel completely," Roger Dow, the association's president and CEO, said in a statement.

More on Volcano Fallout: Ash and Travel Woes

Flights Go Airborne With Cheers, More Ash

To Fly or Not to Fly? That's No Easy Question

Millions of Stranded Travelers Given Hope

Volcano Spews Less Ash as Lava Boils Up

More Ash Fallout: 10 Million Roses Ruined

Volcanic Ash Puts Organ Transplants in Peril

Volcano Cloud's Impact: Some $2B and Counting

Tweet This: Get Me Home

Stranded Travelers Seek Alternate Routes

Volcanic Eruption Grinds Modern World to a Halt

Video:

Flight Safety Up in the Air

Amazing Images of Iceland Volcano

Cleaning Up the Travel Mess

Global Impact of Volcano Ash

Volcano Ash Changes Behavior

The Science of Volcanoes

Second Volcano Erupts in Iceland

Iceland Volcano is Tourist Attraction

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.