Airlines are not the only businesses paying a heavy price for the eruption from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Airport retailers, and to a lesser extent retailers elsewhere, have also been hit by the grounding of aircraft, which has resulted in the cancellation of 63,000 flights, affecting nearly 7 million passengers.

Airports operator BAA has some 725 retail outlets and 130 bar and restaurant tenants in the seven U.K. airports it owns, including Heathrow and Stansted. The disruption, now in its fifth day, has meant that many of the “airside” stores — those accessible only to travelers who have been cleared to proceed to their gates — have closed, with staff sent home or deployed elsewhere. Essential “landside” stores — those accessible to everyone at the airport — have stayed open for stranded tourists and for staff.

The first real indications of any impact could come this Thursday, when leading books/magazines/stationery and gifts retailer WH Smith, which has a major presence in U.K. airports, reports its sales figures. BAA saw a total of 8.2 million passengers in March, of which Heathrow alone accounted for 5.2 million.

Many commentators are saying the general economic impact is even worse than after Sept. 11, with some 300 airports completely or partially closed in Europe, according to Airports Council International. The Centre for Economics & Business Research in the U.K. has estimated the cost to the U.K. economy alone at about £100 million ($153.5 million) a day, half of which is being borne by London.

A particular knock-on effect of the volcanic disruption has been the rescheduling of the 2010 World Trade Congress. The event, due to take place later this week in Berlin, has been postponed until October.

Planes are now due to commence flying from Scotland from 7 a.m. Tuesday, though this is the latest of several announced resumptions. The rest of England might see flying restrictions lifted later Tuesday, according to some reports, though the volcanic eruptions were also said to have increased again early Monday afternoon. Winds are expected to continue blowing from Iceland toward the U.K. into the weekend. Source; Shopping Centers Today