Fear of a first anniversary terrorist attack has led to fewer people flying to and from Bermuda from the United States and Canada today, with one airline cancelling a flight.

Most airlines reported passenger numbers had dipped, some significantly, and Continental cancelled one of its two daily flights to New York.

Continental spokeswoman Julie King refused to disclose booking numbers, but said: "Our bookings are lower than we would normally expect for travel after Labour Day and we've adjusted capacity for Bermuda."

Delta is continuing today with its single flights to Boston and Atlanta, even though bookings are "dismal".

Delta's Bermuda general manager Jackie Zuill said yesterday: "The bookings are quite dismal, below 20 percent, but we are still going to operate anyway.

"Normally they would be considerably better than that and they do pick up quite considerably after Wednesday."

American Airlines, which lost two planes on the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, is continuing its two flights to John F. Kennedy Airport and one to Boston, although bookings are half normal levels.

American manager Judith Butterfield said just 100 in total will be on all three flights, compared with 200 normally.

"They are a little less than the rest of the week, which is also slow. Historically, September is slow, so the loads are light for the next few weeks," she said. "But it could be the memories are there of last year. We will go on as usual. We will hold a minute's silence for the victims, and hope it never happens again."

Air Canada's manager Veronica DeSilva said: "It's business as usual, there have been no changes whatsoever"

US Airways is reporting flight loads of 50 percent for its Washington flight and 57 percent for Philadelphia.

British Airways does not fly to Bermuda on a Wednesday, so its schedules have been unaffected.

Spokeswoman Sallie Singleton said the airline is re-scheduling its Concorde flights between London and Kennedy Airport so they do not interrupt the minute's silence being held in New York at 8.46 a.m. local time.