While most European air travel was "close to normal" today, the continent's air traffic agency Eurocontrol said, restrictions and airport closures caused flight cancellations as winds pushed volcanic ash in the atmosphere into new territory.
Around 250 flights to and from Moroccan airports were cancelled or rerouted, national airport authorities said.
Eight airports on Morocco's north and west coasts, including Rabat and Casablanca, were shut down, the first time the cloud of ash that has caused air traffic chaos in Europe over the past month has affected North Africa's airspace.
Casablanca - Royal Air Maroc's hub - reopened briefly but was due to close down again at 2100 GMT until at least 0600 GMT on Wednesday, the transportation ministry said in a statement.
Flights to and from Tangiers, Tetouan, Essaouira, Agadir, Tan-Tan and Guelmin were also halted until Wednesday morning, the ministry said.
In Spain, air traffic control agency Aena gave the all-clear to reopen four airports that were shut down earlier in the day on the Canary islands of Tenerife and La Gomera and at Badajoz in southwest Spain.
But Malaga, Grenada-Jaen and Fuerteventura were closed late on Tuesday afternoon and the airports on the Canary Island of La Palma, and Jerez in southern Spain remained closed, although Seville reopened.
Spain has also imposed overflight restrictions at altitudes between 20,000 and 35,000 feet (6,000 metres and 10,600 metres) in the skies over Seville, Madrid and Barcelona, Aena said.
In Portugal, 191 flights were cancelled as of 1100 GMT, the Portuguese airports administration said, and all air traffic at Faro, which serves the Algarve, remained suspended since Monday evening.
Flights on the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores also remained suspended, although there were no restrictions on Lisbon.
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