Flights are largely unaffected by the eruption of Fagradalsfjall volcano, about 12km from Keflavik airport in Iceland, although a major Icelandic tourist attraction, the Blue Lagoon, remains closed.
The eruption started at 2217 UTC and is about 4km long line southwest to northeast where fissure and gases are pouring out and it is expanding.
Keflavik airport did close for about 1 hour then reopened again. FI656 from Minneapolis was cancelled. There is no ash plume, but scientists are monitoring the situation.
The April 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland caused significant disruption to air travel between Europe and North America, resulting in over 100,000 cancelled flights over eight days.
The eruption’s massive ash cloud was due to the presence of a glacier on top of the volcano, which rapidly cooled the lava, creating tiny particles that were launched into the air by steam generated during the eruption. These particles were carried by the wind towards Europe.
The eruption of Fagradalsfjall volcano, on the other hand, is expected to have different circumstances, making it less likely to cause flight chaos. In the past three years, three eruptions have occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula, but they did not impact air travel.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is better prepared for a major volcanic ash event. They will collaborate with other aviation stakeholders to assess the impact on aviation and provide recommendations accordingly, as stated on their website.
