A new plume of ash has been emitted by the Icelandic volcano that wreaked havoc on European flights last month.
The Eyjafjoell volcano has surged back to life letting off a cloud of ash measuring up to four miles high.
"The eruption has changed back to an explosive eruption, lava has stopped flowing and most of the magma gets scattered due to explosions in the crater," said a statement from the Icelandic Met Office and Institute of Earth Science.
"The ash plume rises high above the crater and considerable ash fall can be expected in wind direction. No signs of the eruption ending soon."
The move has prompted authorities to consider re-routing transatlantic flights. Ireland has had to shut some airports for the third time this week.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) warned a "massive ash cloud" 1,000 miles long and 700 miles wide was hovering over the Atlantic and drifting into the country's airspace.
"While the northerly winds are keeping the bulk of the cloud out in the Atlantic, the increased size of the cloud is encroaching on Irish airspace along the west coast of Ireland," said the regulator in a statement.
Six airports would be closed until 1.00pm on Friday. Among those shutting down were Shannon and Donegal.
The fresh disruption came after Europe's skies were closed for up to a week last month by the eruption of Eyjafjoell.
It was the biggest aerial shutdown in Europe since World War II, with more than 100,000 flights cancelled and eight million passengers affected.
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