Icelandair and low-cost carrier Play were among carriers forced to cancel flights on Tuesday morning (20 December), after the country’s Keflavik airport was impacted by strong winds and icy conditions.

Icelandair’s day flights to Tenerife, Las Palmas and Boston have also been delayed. "We are still experiencing major road closure which is causing disruption to our operations," a spokesperson added.

"We will resolve any issues as fast as we can, but rebooking flights is taking longer than usual due to the volume of requests."

Meanwhile, Play advised customers to monitor their emails and SMS for further notifications, as it expects multiple flights will be affected by the weather disruptions. 

"Our service team are working hard to assist you all, however, due to high inflow this may take longer than usual," a spokesperson said.

"Maintaining passenger safety is our number one priority, and we will not hesitate to delay flights when necessary."

According to the UK Foreign Office, local emergency services have set up a shelter near Keflavik airport and are providing blankets and water for those stranded.

"They are doing everything they can to move passengers on to hotel accommodation in the area as conditions allow," a spokesperson said.