Bermuda from New York.

The late-night flight in is expected to arrive on schedule -- so the Tuesday morning service back to JFK Airport will depart Bermuda.

But AA's Bermuda spokeswoman Carol DeCouto said the flight would be delayed from its normal 7.25 a.m. take-off time to 9 a.m.

Sunday night's incoming flight was cancelled so there will be no early AA service this morning.

But Mrs. DeCouto said it was hoped that the Wednesday service would run as scheduled.

She added: "At the moment, I expect it to operate -- but we can't know that far in advance. Hopefully, the crews will report back to work.'' Pilots who have been calling in sick were threatened with massive fines over the weekend after being found in contempt of a court order. Last night, American said under 1,000 of American's 9,400 pilots were still listed as sick, compared to nearly 2,500 on Friday.

The sickout forced American to cancel hundreds of flights in the last two weeks and left an estimated 500,000 travellers stranded.

Mrs. DeCouto admitted that the action by AA pilots had crippled the airline -- and severely disrupted travel plans by Bermudians.

She said: "All our passengers this week have had to make alternative arrangements.

"And it's not just from here to New York -- connecting flights have been cancelled.'' It is understood the strike has affected plans by Island residents to travel to Trinidad for the annual carnival, where AA is one of the main airlines travelling to and from New York.

Mrs. DeCouto said: "Some people have just outright cancelled their travel plans.

"We did try and get people on other carriers, but not everybody could be accommodated.'' Tourism Minister David Allen told the House of Assembly on Friday that the last AA flight to service Bermuda was last Tuesday.

But he said the airline's problems had "not significantly'' affected travellers from the US to Bermuda for the annual U.S. Presidents' weekend holiday -- although he admitted "some cancellations'' had to be expected.

A Federal judge ordered pilots -- who have been calling in sick and refusing to work overtime since February 6 -- to go back to work last week.

But hundreds continued to take industrial action and now the courts have warned the Allied Pilots Association and two union leaders they face up to $10 million in fines and damages. The dispute has cost AA up to $90 million so far.

The row began after AA acquired airline Reno Air. Both AA and Reno Air pilots stand to earn more when the two firms' pay scales are fully integrated.

At the moment, some Reno Air pilots earn half what their parent company counterparts get.

AA pilots insisted management's year to 18 month timescale for a common pay rate was too long and accused the company of "dragging its feet.'' UNIONS UNS