trying to leave or return to Bermuda yesterday.

While hundreds of passengers left stranded by New England's massive spring blizzard slowly straggled back to the Island, about 175 "disgruntled'' passengers remained camped out late last night at Bermuda's International Airport awaiting Delta's flight 211, which was sitting on the tarmac in Boston with mechanical problems.

It was due to arrive in Bermuda shortly after noon and depart at 1.30 p.m., but Beantown-bound passengers were told they would not be lifting off until at least 11.15 p.m., said Delta Airline spokesperson Jackie Zuill. "They're getting a little disgusted right about now, stuck here with no refreshments or restaurants of any kind. It's just gone on too long.'' American Airlines' travellers earlier said they had more trouble getting to Logan International Airport than boarding the flight to Bermuda.

Travel plans thrown into turmoil "It took me two hours to get to the airport and it's only a one hour drive normally,'' visitor Linda White said. "But once I got there it was all right.

The flight was kind of empty.'' Another AA passenger said she arrived at the airport early in case she had trouble maintaining her seat on yesterday's flight.

"I got there early to make sure I got on the flight,'' she explained. "But I had no trouble getting on the flight even though the airport was crowded.'' Several local politicians had their travel plans thrown into turmoil by the April Fool's Day storm, including Deputy Premier Jerome Dill and Shadow Finance Minister Eugene Cox who, at press time, were still stranded aboard Delta's flight 211.

Both Delta and AA's Boston-Bermuda runs were grounded by the spring storm. On Tuesday said Ms Zuill, said some 250 passengers were forced to remain on the Island an extra day while a similar number hoping to fly to Bermuda were stranded in Boston.

The blizzard buried New England and the Northeast under nearly three feet of heavy, wet snow downing power lines and closing airports. The storm was blamed for at least three deaths.

It was the third biggest blizzard in Boston history and it shattered the previous snowfall record for the entire month of April in just a few hours.