Iceland has raised the warning for aircraft to code red, its highest level, after a small volcanic eruption that has triggered fears that ash in the atmosphere could disrupt air travel.

Iceland’s meteorological authority said on Saturday that an eruption has been detected beneath a glacier at the Bardarbunga volcano, where a series of earthquakes took place earlier this week.

The “code red” warning signifies that an eruption is imminent or in progress. The Associated Press reports that aviation authorities have declared a no-fly zone around the volcano, but have not shut down Icelandic airspace.

The region in central Iceland near the volcano was evacuated earlier this week as a precaution.

The conditions have triggered fears of a repeat of 2010’s air travel disruption, in which a week of flights were delayed or canceled for days due to a cloud of ash from an erupting volcano.

Since then, aviation regulations have changed, making a recurrence of the fiasco unlikely. [Read More]

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Source: VOA News: Labor