"Almost no magma at eruption site"

Holuhraun seen through the window of the Nordurflug helicopter. Trips …

Holuhraun seen through the window of the Nordurflug helicopter. Trips have been fully booked since the eruption started with long waiting lists. Mbl.is/ Árni Sæberg

Anna Margrét Björnsson

"We're cancelling most of our trips to Holuhraun as the eruption has almost petered out," says Sólveig Pétursdóttir at Norðurflug helicopter tours. Flights with the company to see the eruption have been fully booked for months with long waiting lists. One couple were unhappy with what they saw and wanted a refund yesterday because the eruption wasn't as majestic as they expected. 

"It's obviously not anything that we can control," explains Pétursdóttir and says that the company does not reccommend  flying to Holuhraun anymore so as not to disappoint anyone. The eruption has subsided considerably in recent days and volcanologists predict that it could end very soon.

In a post on the company's webpage it states: "We went to the eruption yesterday and there is almost no magma there anymore. We do not recommend booking a tour unless you are willing to accept that if the magma flow has completely stopped once we get to the eruption site - we cannot give a refund for the tour. Our costs are the same, magma or no magma, and a refund is thus not an option.  Unfortunately there is no way of knowing the current activity before leaving on the tour from Reykjavik. We can only show you the most recent pictures from us and from the media. If you are aware of and accept this and are still determined to fly, we are happy to fly you as the area is still of interest. The eruption is the single largest eruption in decades."

Nordurflug is however organising a trip to see the solar eclipse on March 20th. The helicopter will land on Eyjafjallajökull from which the eclipse will be observed. The trip is already fully booked. 

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The eruption could soon be over

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