British Airways resumed flights last night after travel was halted by a volcanic ash cloud on Sunday.

Flights between Bermuda and Gatwick were cancelled due to the forced closure of the airport for several hours.

Bermuda passengers left stranded by Sunday's closure were able to fly out yesterday evening after the British Civil Aviation Authority reopened airspace and BA started flying.

According to BA spokeswoman Sallie Singleton, travellers booked to leave on yesterday's flight were able to fit on the plane also preventing a backlog from occurring.

One hundred and three would-be travellers were forced to return to their homes or book into hotels after Sunday's cancellation.

Flights across the UK and Europe were also affected.

Sunday's cancellation were the most recent in a series of major flight disruptions to and from Bermuda and across Europe since an Icelandic volcano began spewing smoke and ash in early April. According to experts, there is no way to tell how long the volcano will continue to erupt.

"We are optimistic that the airspace will remain open," said Mrs. Singleton. "It looks as though everything is going to work out."

BA CEO Willie Walsh has claimed flight cancellations have cost his company between £15 million and £20 million a day.

Meanwhile, BA dodged a potential further blow yesterday when it won a High Court injunction to stop the latest strikes by its cabin staff.

The first in a series of planned walkouts by the airline's staff would have begun today had it not been prevented by the courts.

Unite, the union which represents BA staff, previously said it would appeal if BA was successful in court.