A long-awaited volcanic eruption has affected flights to and from Iceland’s main airport.
For six weeks, Icelandic authorities have been monitoring seismic activity near Keflavik Airport, a major aviation hub in the North Atlantic.
The eruption occurred approximately 16 miles southwest of the airport and northeast of the town of Grindavik, and 4,000 residents were evacuated as a precaution.
According to Flightradar24 data, the last flight to depart from Keflavik Airport was an easyJet departure to Manchester. The plane took off at 1:35 a.m., more than five hours late, and arrived safely at Manchester Airport at 4 a.m.
easyJet told passengers: This is because volcanic activity at Keflavik (KEF) has placed restrictions on the areas where aircraft are allowed to fly. The safety of you and your crew is our top priority and we appreciate your patience. ”
Arrivals in Keflavik begin around 5am and continue almost as usual. Flight conditions have been complicated by a series of strikes by air traffic controllers. The staff, who are embroiled in a pay dispute, have been working intermittently and are scheduled to stop working again on the morning of Wednesday, December 20th.
The national airline Icelandair told passengers: “The eruption has minimal impact on Icelandair and Keflavik Airport operations. There are no changes to flight schedules.”
“There are no flight delays or cancellations due to the eruption. The safety of our passengers and staff is always our top priority and is at the heart of every decision we make. We are closely monitoring the situation and will keep you informed of any new developments. If there is, we will notify passengers.”
Other Tuesday morning departures from Keflavik are experiencing significant delays. The first wave of flights from Iceland’s start-up airline Prey are expected to depart four to five hours late.
“Due to the volcanic eruption that occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland on December 18, 2023, the road to the town of Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon has been closed while the situation is assessed. .
“While we do not expect any disruption to flight schedules, safety is always our top priority and the situation is being closely monitored by the relevant authorities.
“We ask all passengers booked on upcoming flights to pay close attention to our messages regarding potential disruptions to flight schedules.”
Flights from the UK to Iceland appear to be operating as normal.
The first departure between the two countries was EasyJet flight 2259 from Manchester to Keflavik, which departed several minutes ahead of schedule.
So far, there are no signs of the volcanic ash cloud that grounded planes in 2010.
As a result, the Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions, was closed. It is close to the eruption zone and had just reopened for Christmas after being closed for several weeks.
Guests are told: We will be contacting all customers with confirmed reservations in the coming days.
“We will continue to monitor progress and maintain close communication with authorities, prioritizing safety and health.”
Clive Stacey, founder of Iceland’s leading specialist travel company Discover the World, said: independent person: “In the future, a lava flow may enter Grindavik, but it is expected that a wall will be built to divert the flow away from the town.
“The Blue Lagoon and geothermal power plant are already protected by such walls. As things stand, this is not a ‘tourist eruption’ at this stage and tourists are being warned to stay away from the area. There is.
“At Discover the World, our thoughts are with the people of Grindavik during this extremely difficult time. Suffice it to say that the town was evacuated long before this eruption occurred.
“The eruption has had little impact on flights to and from Keflavík Airport, apart from the closure of the airspace for approximately one hour after the start of the eruption to assess the risk to air travel.”