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© NEODAAS/University of Dundee/PAAn image from Nasa's Terra satellite shows the volcanic ash plume travelling from Iceland to the north of the UK
Americans flying to Europe on Thursday are in for some bumps in their itineraries as clouds of volcanic ash from Iceland close airspace in parts of Europe.

The United Kingdom's airspace was closed about noon Thursday (7 a.m. ET) and will be closed until at least 7 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) Friday, air traffic authorities said. Delta Air Lines has suspended service into and out of the UK for the rest of Thursday, spokesman Anthony Black said.

"At this point, it's only the UK (other flights have departed/arrived for the day). We will automatically rebook any cancelled flights. We are waiting to hear additional info from European air traffic controllers before we make any other adjustments," Black said in an e-mail.

Refunds will be available for Delta flights that are canceled or significantly delayed. The airline also will allow travelers to make a one-time change to tickets to or from London and Amsterdam free of charge for travel scheduled through April 18, according to its Web site. Rescheduled flights must originate no later than May 31.

American Airlines was able to operate 15 flights into and out of the UK on Thursday before airspace was closed, spokesman Tim Smith said. "Aircraft encountered no ash," he said.

The airline canceled 21 flights into and out of the UK, Smith said.

Continental Airlines canceled 32 flights Thursday, according to spokeswoman Mary Clark. The airline is allowing passengers with flights to or from more than a dozen European cities through April 18 to change their tickets once without penalty. Refunds will be offered for canceled flights.

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© Matt Cardy/Getty ImagesA woman in the empty departure hall of Bristol airport in England
One British Airways flight was en route to Dulles International Airport near Washington on Thursday morning, but other flights due to arrive there from the UK were canceled, said Rob Yingling, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Other destinations connected directly to Dulles -- including Amsterdam, Netherlands; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Brussels, Belgium -- are likely to be affected, he said.

Yingling urges passengers with flights to those cities or with connections in those cities to check with their airlines about flight status and rebooking.

"Almost like we would do in snow. Of course, this situation is not affecting our end of the trip; it's the other end of the trip. But that obviously cascades to this end of the trip," he said.

Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark also have closed or plan to close their airspace.