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The Icelandic Met Office raised its aviation warning level near the Bardarbunga volcano to red after an eruption began overnight.
Scientists said a fissure eruption 1km long started in a lava field north of the Vatnajokull glacier.
Civil protection officials said Icelandic air traffic control had closed the airspace above the eruption up to a height of 5,000ft.
Airlines are keeping a close eye on the situation after the volcano was hit by several recent tremors.
EasyJet said it was aware of the threat of volcanic activity in Iceland and is monitoring the situation and liaising with the relevant safety authorities.
“Should there be an eruption EasyJet will work to ensure that it is detected and charted from space, using infra red cameras on European weather satellites, or through the deployment of the ‘AVOID’ technology on an Airbus test aircraft,” the airline said.
“All this data will be fed into the aviation industry’s volcanic monitoring process to ensure that in the event of an eruption commercial aircraft can continue to fly when it is safe to do so.”
Until now the Met Office in Iceland has kept its aviation warning level – indicating the potential threat of volcanic activity to air travel – at orange, its second-highest.
But yesterday scientists said they were examining several “cauldrons” found near Bardarbunga volcano that could potentially be a sign of an eruption, the BBC reported.
Scientists who have been at work close to the eruption monitor the event at a safe distance,” a statement said.
“The Icelandic Met Office has raised the aviation colour code over the eruption site to red.”
It added that no volcanic ash had so far been detected but a coast guard aircraft was due to take off later to survey the site.
Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing ash that disrupted air travel across Europe.