The volcanic ash cloud over Europe has called off US President Barack Obama's visit to Poland for the funeral of late President Lech Kaczynski.
"Michelle and I continue to have the Polish people in our thoughts and prayers, and will support them in any way I can as they recover from this terrible tragedy," Obama said in a White House statement.
The US president personally informed Poland's acting president, Bronislaw Komorowski, that he would not be attending the state funeral due to the volcano in Iceland.
The US ambassador to Poland, Lee Feinstein, would represent Washington at the funeral service on Sunday.
Kaczynski, his wife, and 94 other members of the country's elite were killed in an air crash in Russia on April 10.
Spokesperson for Poland's aviation authority Grzegorz Hlebowicz said all airports were closed Saturday to flights above the cloud level of 20,000 feet because of the ash cloud.
The terrible flying conditions were affecting millions of people around the world and costing airlines hundreds of millions of dollars.