Reykjavik’s international airport has been shut due to an eruption from Grimsvotn, the most active volcano in Iceland.

The eruption began on Sunday, forcing smoke and ash some 12 miles (20 kilometres) into the Earth’s atmosphere, causing cancellations at both of the country’s commercial airports. Despite the disruptions, officials say that widespread travel chaos is not expected.

Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, Isavia civil aviation authority spokeswoman, said that the country’s airspace had been close until officials could determine the effects of the ash adding that Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s main international gateway, would remain closed throughout Sunday.

The news follows last year’s eruption of Eyjafjallajokul, another volcano in the North Atlantic nation, which resulted in the closure of airports across Europe as experts warned that ash and airborne volcanic particles posed a danger to aircraft. They said that such material could cause damage to windscreens and result in engine failures.

Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson, geophysicist from the University of Iceland said that the latest eruption was the largest from Grimsvotn in a century and that it was much more intense than last year’s Eyjafjallajokul eruption, however due to heavier ash particles the cloud was not drifting nearly as far. Still, northern areas of Britain, particularly Scotland could be affected within the next few days, officials said.