Hundreds of thousands travellers worldwide are stranded as hundreds of flights to Europe are cancelled due to a volcanic ash cloud.
Several countries have closed their airspace after a volcano in Iceland erupted on Wednesday, sending plumes of fine ash into the sky which can cause jet engines to shut down.
The volcano was still spewing ash into the air on Friday and shows little sign of letting up, officials said.
No-fly zones have been introduced in many countries including Britain, Ireland and northern Europe. A huge swathe of airspace from the Atlantic to the Russian borders, and from the Alps to the Arctic Sea, remains closed.
There are partial closures at airports in France, Germany and Poland. European air traffic authorities say the cancellations could extend into the weekend.
One of the largest travel agencies in New Zealand is warning it may take days before normal flights resume.
House of Travel says about 4500 clients are affected. The agency is identifying people due to travel in the next few days and contacting them to discuss their options.
People warned not to start journey
Air New Zealand is advising people travelling to European destinations not to start their journey, as it does not want any more people stranded along the way.
The airline says that as of Friday evening, 300 people are stuck in Los Angeles and 300 people in Hong Kong, and as more people come through there is less accommodation available.
Air New Zealand flights from London to Auckland via Los Angeles and Hong Kong, which were scheduled to arrive early on Saturday (NZ time), have been cancelled.
The airline says there is a high probability that two London-bound departures on Friday night will terminate at Hong Kong and Los Angeles.
Singapore Airlines says there is no accommodation left in Singapore city and about 2500 people are already stranded at the airport on Friday. It says it is the start of the peak tourist season in Europe and the ash cloud could remain a major problem for another week.
Emirates says all flights are still operating from New Zealand on Friday, but many passengers are waiting in stopover points.
The airline is only accepting passengers whose destinations are not so far affected by airport closures. Others are being turned away at the check-in.
Qantas is warning passengers that flights scheduled to leave Australia for Britain and Europe on Saturday are unlikely to go ahead. The airline has already cancelled flights to London and Frankfurt on Friday.
Qantas says anyone travelling to Britain or Europe in the next few days should not go to the airport until they have received confirmation that their flight is operating.
The airline advises that passengers keep in touch via the Qantas website. It said it would use passenger details to contact them via phone, email or text message where possible.
Holiday turns disastrous for UK couple
Ian Murphy and partner Sarah Cooke were on a short holiday in New Zealand and were supposed to fly home to London with Emirates.
Mr Murphy told Radio New Zealand on Friday the airline has told them they will not get another flight home for 10 days due to cancellations and limited availability.
"We have no idea where we're going from here. We don't have huge amounts of money, we haven't got any hotels booked, we don't have family here. We're just here on a short holiday which has now turned into a bit of a disaster."
Mr Murphy says their insurance company in the United Kingdom has told the couple that their policy does not cover a natural disaster.
But New Zealand's Insurance Council chief executive Chris Ryan says most travellers should be reimbursed.
"Any suggestions that an act of God is not covered in this event may be some sort of understanding out of the northern hemisphere. Certainly this sort of event - the eruption and consequent travel cancellations and interruptions - should be covered under normal policy."
Mr Ryan says anyone who has bought their insurance since the eruption on Wednesday should check to see what type of cover they have, as the financial cost of not having sufficient cover is potentially enormous.
"Not only for travellers who have had their travel interrupted, but also for business people that are not able to complete some of their normal activities, and also for the airlines and other tourism and travel related industries. It will be a very expensive event."
Governor-General trying to get to state funeral
Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand is among the thousands of New Zealand travellers whose flights have been disrupted.
Sir Anand was making his way to Warsaw for the funerals of Poland's president Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria who died in a plane crash in Russia last weekend.
A spokesperson for Sir Anand says he made it to Los Angeles but the flight to London was cancelled.
The spokesperson says it is hoped the Governor-General can reach Poland in time for the funerals on Sunday. However, the service in Krakow may be delayed due to a no-fly zone over northern Europe.
