Some Vancouver high school students stranded in Austria because of the giant ash cloud are expected to return home on Wednesday, as European officials roll out new zones for aircraft.

The 27 students and three teachers from Point Grey Secondary were supposed to fly home Friday after a two-week cultural exchange in Austria, but their return was delayed after the volcanic eruption in Iceland grounded flights over northern Europe.

Steve Daily, the father of 16-year-old student Robin Daily, told CBC News the students are making the most of the extended stay with their host families.

"As it worked out, the great news is that the Austrian kids were here last fall, so our kids know them and they had been staying in their homes in Innsbruck for the last week, so it really was just an extension of the stay so I think it's actually fairly comfortable for them, they're not complaining too much," said Daily.

Some European airspace re-opened

Meanwhile, it is not yet clear how some new rules will affect European flights in and out of Vancouver International Airport on Monday.

European Union transport ministers agreed to partly reopen European skies on Monday by carving up the airspace into three zones based on danger levels, ending a shutdown caused by volcanic ash flowing from Iceland.

One zone — defined by the European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol — will be open to all flights; another caution zone will be open to some flights. A third zone will be closed to all flights.