American Airlines passengers were left fuming last night after their Bermuda to Miami flight was cancelled after repeated delays, with some people waiting 12 hours at the airport.

Apparently, mechanical reasons delayed the flight when it was originally due to depart Bermuda at 8.15 a.m. yesterday, causing mass confusion whether or not the flight would depart yesterday.

Passengers that missed their flights yesterday are scheduled to leave on another airplane at 7.30 a.m. this morning.

Last night, despite several attempts by The Royal Gazette, no one from the airline's airport office could be reached for comment. Now, some irate passengers are demanding compensation from the airline.

Passenger Anthony Mello, of Bermuda Charters Ltd., due to leave yesterday with five others, said: "I can tell you right now, things better be on track today, if not, they better fly the space shuttle in here!"

Mr. Mello claims that airline agents communicated poorly, announcing at least three different times the flight was to take off after "parts" were supposed to have been flown in. He added: "I was headed to a business function in Fort Lauderdale. I was at the airport around six in the morning and left after 6 p.m. in the evening – no one could tell me what was going on — it's madness. I've had to make several phone calls to reconfirm my car and hotel rooms.

"They knew that the flight was off and they didn't have an agent upstairs to communicate anything. "Through phone calls to our family in Bermuda, we knew the flight was cancelled, but the agents kept giving us different departure times.

"I want to be reimbursed for my hotel room, my car rental, which I've paid for and a day's business that I've lost because of this arrogance!"

Additionally, Mr. Mello claims during the marathon wait, only some people received food vouchers, while others received nothing. "We were down there at the airport for 12 hours and they didn't even offer us a drink or something like that — we had to pay for everything we had," he detailed.

American started the twice-weekly service between Miami and the Island in 2005, boosting its New York route, which the Island has had for many years.

"Everybody was polite but the whole problem is they (the agents) have to know what to say because everyone was giving us a different story," added passenger Margarita Triay, visiting her daughter in Bermuda.

One source alleged that the "mechanical" problem was to do with the plane's two-way UHF radio. "I spoke to one of the ground mechanics and American knew they had this problem since last night," the source stated.