Update 2: Ash cloud - Malta flights from Edinburgh, Newcastle cancelled

Ryanair's Edinburgh flight to Malta and EasyJet's flight from Newcastle have been cancelled because of the ash cloud forming over Scotland and Northern England from a volcano in Iceland.

The flight from Edinburgh was due to land in Malta at 11.40 a.m. Passengers in Malta are being offered alternative flights to the UK or the option to return to their hotel.

The Newcastle flight was due at 8.35 p.m.

The cloud has also affected a Thomas Cook flight from Glasgow to Malta. 

The flight will now depart from Manchester instead of Glasgow and arrive in Malta at 7.20 p.m. instead of the scheduled 1.45 p.m. It will later also depart for Manchester instead of Glasgow.

"It is expected that Glasgow airport will be affected in the morning and therefore customers due to depart from Glasgow until approximately 11:00 will be coached down to Manchester for the departure of their flight," Thomas Cook said.

Air Malta said in a statement that although its flight schedule has not yet been affected, it was closely monitoring the evolving situation and was in touch with aviation authorities.

It said it would advise its passengers of any changes in its flight operations as a result of airspace disruptions.

European air traffic controllers said this morning that 252 flights have been cancelled because of the  volcanic ash cloud.

"Most airlines have cancelled flights today -- 252 flights," said Brian Flynn, head of operations at the Brussels-based Eurocontrol via Twitter. "Parts of ashcloud to cover Scotland and Northern Ireland today."

The eruption of the Grimsvoetn volcano in Iceland yesterday forced US President Barack Obama  to revise travel plans for a state visit to Britain and he flew to the UK a day earlier.

It also threatens to affect Barcelona's preparations for Saturday's Champions League final at Wembley Stadium in London.

Flynn warned that the ash cloud "will continue possibly southwards to France and Spain."

He said that by the end of the day, the cloud "will cover southern parts of Scandinavia, Denmark and northern parts of Germany possibly." This raised the prospect of major travel disruption across Europe due to Icelandic volcanic eruption for the second time in little over a year.