Iceland volcano: Latest on flights between Manchester Airport and Keflavik - and how to check flight status

The anticipated eruption of an Icelandic volcano has caused disruption to flights in and out of the country. This has had a knock on effect with flights connecting the nation’s capital to Manchester. 

The volcano has erupted in an area in the south west of Iceland. This is around 10 miles away from Keflavik Airport. The last flight to depart Keflavik on December 18 was to Manchester. This was a flight that was due to leave at 7.55pm but, according to Flight Radar, did not take off until 1.35am. 

An Icelandair flight departed almost half an hour late on December 19, departing for the UK at 8.28 am rather than 8am. According to Flight Radar, there are a total of three flights due to depart Keflavik for Manchester today (December 19). 

A 7.05am flight from Manchester Airport to Keflavik departed just three minutes later than scheduled this morning. This is one of three flights leaving Manchester for the Icelandic airport throughout the day. 

The 11.55am Icelandair flight to Manchester was late in taking off, but only by around 20 minutes. The last flight of the day to Iceland is scheduled to take off at 2.50pm, this is operated by easyJet.

On December 20, four flights are due to leave Manchester for Keflavik. At the moment, all four have either left on time or are due to leave on time.

EasyJet gave passengers this message when announcing the delay on December 18. They said: “We’re sorry that your flight has been delayed. This is because volcanic activity in Keflavik (KEF) is causing restrictions to the areas in which aircraft are permitted to fly. The safety of you and our crew is our highest priority and we thank you for your patience.”

At the moment, the disruption is limited and flights started out from Keflavik Airport this morning. Few services have been disrupted, with passengers also experiencing issues caused by an air-traffic controller strike. 

The national airline, Icelandair, has given a message to passengers. A spokesperson said:  “The eruption does have a very minimal effect on the operations of Icelandair or Keflavik airport. Our flight schedule remains unchanged.

“No flights have been delayed or cancelled due to the eruption. The safety of our passengers and staff is always our number one priority and at the heart of every decision we make. We’re monitoring the situation closely and will inform our passengers of any new developments.”

How to check on your flight status

Flight information will be available online for flights to and from Manchester and Keflavik. Flight Radar is a good place to start to see if your flights have been disrupted. 

The two airlines which operate flights between Manchester and Keflavik are easyJet and Icelandair. You can get contact information for both by visiting their websites.