The volcanic ash cloud that put an end to most flights into and out of ­Melbourne and Tasmania on Sunday disrupted travel plans ­yesterday, when Qantas kept a swath of southern flights grounded as competitors resumed normal schedules.

Virgin Australia and Air New ­Zealand resumed normal services in Australia, New Zealand and on trans-Tasman routes yesterday, saying they were able to safely fly below or around the ash cloud. This raised fuel costs but was cheaper than ­cancelling services.