No UK flights until tomorrow morning at earliest

No non-emergency flights will be allowed in or out of the UK before 6am tomorrow at the earliest, air traffic control company Nats said today.

There are cancellations in the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland.

The volcano's smoke and ash can affect visibility, and shut down plane engines.

Heathrow Airport was a scene of chaos today as passengers tried to come to grips with being stranded for the foreseeable future.

Check-in desks at Terminal One, usually a hive of activity, were shut, with departure boards showing all flights cancelled.

Confused passengers milled around with their luggage, many queuing at customer information desks to try to rearrange flights.

There were queues too for payphones and for the internet, as people attempted to reach friends and relatives and find out more information.

Many were angry that all flights had been cancelled, with some saying the situation was an over-reaction.

Isobel Connolly, originally from Cork, had flown from her home in San Francisco to see relatives in Ireland but found herself stuck at Heathrow.

She said: “Basically we’re stranded here, and a lot of people are angry.

“I realise it’s an act of God, however it would be nice to have another exit strategy.”

Jerry O’Callaghan, 50, from Cork, returning from a holiday in America, said: “We were just about to board when they cancelled the flight. We thought we were on our way really.”

He said he was planning to travel home by train and boat, meaning he would arrive tomorrow.

Mr O’Callaghan added: “They should have better equipment. It’s only a load of ash. The mechanics should be able to take it in this modern world.”

Patrick Keys, 70, returning home to Dublin from a holiday in Cape Town, South Africa, via Heathrow, said: “I think they over-reacted.

“The skies were totally clear. There didn’t seem to be any problem. It seems to be a panic for no reason.”

Some passengers arrived at Heathrow not knowing all flights had been cancelled.

Frank Clinton, of Wexford, Ireland, was hoping to fly to Tokyo at 1.30pm – only to find he had no way of getting there, or back home.

When told of the flight cancellation, he said: “I got the last flight out of Dublin. If my flight doesn’t go, I’m sort of stuck here as I won’t be able to get back to Dublin either.”