Airport officials will meet again today to find out when American carriers can begin flying again so that the airport can effectively re-open.

Acting Operations manager Michael Osborn said last night that the operation to absorb nine diverted US-bound flights containing about 1,200 passengers had gone extremely well.

Airport officials were holding their monthly security meeting yesterday morning when they were informed by air traffic control in New York that all US airspace had been closed down.

As the first of the nine diverted jets, the British Airways London to Miami flight, began heading for the Island, armed Police and Bermuda Regiment officers, and a mobile Emergency Response unit headed to the airport in case any of the planes had been hijacked by terrorists.

After processing the passengers through Immigration and Customs, the Department of Tourism and Bermuda Hotel Association set up a central command office to ensure that hotel beds could be found for all the passengers.

Through the Emergency Measures Organisation, taxis were directed to the airport and buses were used to carry the shell-shocked passengers to their hotels.

By 5 p.m., the last of the passengers had passed Customs and airport officials held a meeting after an update from the EMO.

Three of the nine jets which diverted to Bermuda flew back out to their original destinations. But last night armed Police units and the Regiment were keeping a guard on the remaining six jets.

Mr. Osborn told The Royal Gazette last night: "It went remarkably well. Everyone was saying that all the agencies worked very well together. The EMO directives were very clear and timely.

"The co-operation between the agencies has been excellent, as has the co-operation of the airlines. The passengers have been moved in a timely fashion to hotels by taxis and buses.

"We will now have to wait for the US carriers to operate again."

By yesterday afternoon, the Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, the Al Italia flight from Milan, and the Martin Air jet from Amsterdam, had refuelled and returned home.

But passengers from the British Airways flight from London, the Continental flights from Lisbon and San Juan, Puerto Rico, the American flight from Madrid, and the Delta flights from Barcelona and Rome were taken to hotels throughout the Island where they will stay until the US reopens its airspace.

BAannounced last night that passengers on the diverted London to Miami flight, will return to London tonight. Passengers who were due to fly to London last night can join this flight.

Regiment soldiers kept the airport cordoned off overnight. Airport officials must wait until the US authorities decide to allow flights once more so that the stranded passengers can fly on to America.