British Airways has cancelled its flights to and from Bermuda today after Britain was forced to close all of its airports because of ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland.

A Bermuda-based British Airways spokesperson said customers were being asked to contact the airline at 1-800-Airways to re-book their flights or to ask for a refund.

Flights will not be re-booked for tomorrow, however, as the airline struggles to organise cancelled flights.

The spokesperson said: "Aircraft are in the wrong areas. They have had to go back to their destinations and they are all over the place.

"They had to divert, but we don't know what the effects will be tomorrow. It may change."

According to experts the ash coming from the volcano which has tiny particles of rock, glass and sand would be enough to jam the engines.

Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark are also among the European countries hit.

Two friends Katie O'Malley and Sarah Sweeney have been in Bermuda for the last two weeks and were expected to leave on the British Airways flight last night.

Both Miss O'Malley and Miss Sweeney received text messages around 8.30 a.m. yesterday telling them that their flights had been cancelled.

Yesterday Miss O'Malley, a teacher, they struggled to connect with British Airways to re-book their flight and may not leave the island until Monday.

She said: "Our flight was due to leave tonight but now we can't get on the next flight until Monday night — there was about a 5 hour wait on the BA phone line (in the USA) to get through.

"We ended up having to call on the English phone line. We had the option to upgrade to Business on the Sunday night flight, but it would cost around $3500 each to do so.

"It's very frustrating for both of us, especially as we are due back at work and university on Monday and so will have to miss 2 days now, and I'm a teacher so not a great start to the new term.

"Luckily we are staying with a lovely family and we are in the sunshine."

BA passengers struggling to get through to the toll-free number 1-800-Airways because of the high volume of calls can visit their ticket office up to 7 p.m. today at L.F. Wade International Airport to re-book flights.

Volcano smoke plume 11 kilometres high

— The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano this week is the second in a month in Iceland.

— The smoke plume is said to stretch 11 kilometres into the sky and is at least 1,000 kilometres from Britain, where it caused the closure of airports at noon yesterday.

— Britain's airspace is not expected to open again until 7 a.m. today.

— Airspace was closed or flights were cancelled in the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and France.

— The height of the smoke plume means while it disrupts air traffic it is of little or no consequence to public health.

— According to weather and climate experts at the UK's Met Office, the high pressure condition over the area is also helping retain the ash cloud in the high levels of the atmosphere ensuring little chance of it reaching the ground.

— Volcanic ash can reduce visibility and potentially clog engines of aircraft.

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