( CNN ) -- Erupting Icelandic volcanoes have been known to ground flights , but this time they kept one up in the air as a pilot looped around to give passengers a better view of the spectacle . The extraordinary detour over the smoke and lava-spewing Bardarbunga volcano was captured on camera by one passenger and the image was later posted on Twitter by the airline . `` Our pilot made an extra circle around # Bardarbunga this morning to let passengers check it out , '' it said , thanking Erla Vinsy for the photo . `` Taking a short detour via a circle back around the eruption area , passengers on both sides of the aircraft were treated to an aerial view of the eruption while flying safely over the center of the action , '' Icelandair said in statement released later . It 's not often passenger plane pilots turn tour guide , with most sticking to dry commentary about airspeed , altitude and weather and confining off-flightpath maneuvers to holding patterns above busy airports . Volcanic activity around Bardarbunga in August prompted Iceland 's Meteorological Office to briefly raise the aviation threat level to red , its highest . There were fears of a repeat of the travel chaos of 2010 when a huge eruption from another Icelandic volcano , Eyjafjallajokull , led to weeks of flight cancellations . The alert related to Bardabunga was lowered to orange just days later and restrictions dropped , but officials said seismic activity was continuing at the volcano . Volcanic ash can be a serious hazard to aircraft , reducing visibility , damaging flight controls and ultimately causing jet engines to fail . From a safe distance though , it 's got to be worth a second look .
Icelandair pilot loops back to give passengers a better view of Bardarbunga . Volcanic activity around Bardabunga recently caused Iceland to raise an aviation alert . Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos:Photos: