Normal service resumed and almost to 100 per cent – that was the battle cry from the headlines last night and this morning, writes  Tracey O’Sullivan, who is stranded in Spain.

Almost home and dry.

Or so we thought.

Like thousands of other families stranded across the world we breathed a massive sigh of relief yesterday after a clear day of safe flying.

We watched glued to television screens as those first long haul flights touched down at Heathrow, knowing we would soon be following on our own long-awaited flight into Birmingham.

But not for the first time this week our hopes that the worst was over have been put on hold.

Normal service has not resumed for the vast majority of us who still don’t know for sure what exactly is happening.

Ryanair have announced they will start flying again from 1pm today, but passengers have been advised still to call and check — apparently a booking is still no guarantee of travel these days as chaos continues to reign.

With a massive backlog to clear the current attempt at a normal service offers very little reassurance for people who have had to learn the hard way that without air travel the world is not as small as we like to think it is.

We spent hours yesterday trying to get through to Ryanair with no joy, and we had family trying to do the same thing on our behalf back in the UK. Knowing we have rebooked online is just not enough after this week and the fallout from such unprecented disruption.

We want a human voice to tell us that if that flight leaves on Saturday we will be on it. There is some suggestion that even those booked may be bumped for higher priority cases.

Now we hope that after a week’s delay and with two children we are among those who will be treated as a priority as the operation to get those left stranded back home continues, but we are not taking anything for granted.

Today’s mission is a trip to Malaga Airport to ensure we are on any list we need to be on – this is the advice from many of those waiting for that coveted call to board a flight. Some will take any flight, and others no longer trust that mode of transport.

More stranded Brits fled yesterday from Nerja even as the planes soared above the clouds once again.

A headteacher from Middlesex managed to get a spot on a coach heading back to Britain. With 14 of her staff stranded in different corners of the world she couldn’t afford to take the risk that flying now represents.

But at least there were some positive vibes, with talk now turning to those who have made it rather than about those stuck where they are.

And it’s good to know because we are now desperate to get home. While the welcome has been warm the additional expenses are adding up and a holiday is no holiday when it feels like your means of returning home is far from certain.

We tried to make it something of an adventure but now we want normal life to resume. Although I don’t think we will actually feel convinced that has happened until we land on that Birmingham runway in the early hours of Sunday morning.

And yes, I might even kiss it.