Iceland volcano 2023: Is it safe to travel and is the eruption affecting flights?

A volcano erupted late on Monday night (18 December) on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, weeks after thousands of small quakes rocked the southwest coast.

The latest eruption began at 10:17pm about 4km northeast of Grindavik. 

As the eruption spread, magma, or semi-molten rock, could be seen spewing along the ridge of a hill.

The intensity of the eruption decreased into the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to the Icelandic Met Office, though this is not an indication of how long it will last.

"It can be over in a week, or it could take quite a bit longer," says scientist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson, who flew over the site on Tuesday morning onboard on a coast guard research flight.

Despite lying just 20 km north of the eruption site, Keflavik International Airport - Iceland's main international airport - has not been closed and flights are still arriving and departing. The road between the airport and Grindavik is closed, however.

If you are planning on travelling to or from the affected area, here are the full details on advice from European governments and which airlines are still operating flights.

Icelandic authorities declared a state of emergency in November after hundreds of small earthquakes shook the Reykjanes Peninsula - the island nation’s most populated region. 

As fears of an eruption grew last month, 4,000 people were evacuated from the area. They were only allowed back briefly to collect their belongings.

This meant few people were near the site of eruption went it occurred on Monday night and authorities have warned others to stay away. 

“This is not a tourist attraction and you must watch it from a great distance," Vidir Reynisson, head of Iceland’s Civil Protection and Emergency Management, told national