Flights have been redirected to avoid a huge plume of smoke and ash that is pouring from a sub-glacial volcano in Iceland.
The Grimsvotn volcano, which sits under the massive, 200-metre thick Vatnajokull glacier, has been sending out a seven-mile-high column of ash since it erupted on Monday evening.
The Times reports that at least 10 transatlantic flights have been diverted south of Iceland – and that if the winds were blowing in a different direction, up to 50 flights a day could be effected.
The volcano is expected to continue erupting for at least another two weeks.
The newspaper states that dozens of domestic Icelandic flights have been cancelled because the ash is capable of stopping aircraft engines.
The BBC News website has a dramatic set of photos of the eruption at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/3983743.stm.
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd
