Mount Etna erupts again, Catania Airport suspends flights

Mount Etna in Sicily is active again. Due to an ash cloud rising several kilometres into the air, air traffic at the airport in the Italian city of Catania has been temporarily suspended.

Numerous flights have been cancelled since Monday, causing considerable disruption for passengers, CE Report quotes STA.

Etna has been spewing huge amounts of ash since Sunday, with the cloud reaching approximately four kilometres in altitude, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).

For safety reasons, authorities have issued the highest, red alert for air traffic. Catania Airport, which was closed on Monday afternoon, remains temporarily closed today.

The airport operator announced that all arrivals and departures have been cancelled until 14:30.

Dozens of flights, including many international services, were cancelled in Catania on Monday, causing considerable difficulties for passengers travelling to Sicily. Many flights were diverted to the airports in Palermo and Comiso.

It is not yet known how long the disruption will last. Catania Airport is also widely used by foreign tourists visiting Italy’s largest Mediterranean island.

Due to Etna’s high level of activity, with lava and ash being emitted, air traffic at Catania Airport was already disrupted for more than a week in August, during the peak tourist season. Hundreds of flights were cancelled, affecting more than 100,000 holidaymakers. The ash cloud also spread across the Mediterranean, reaching Malta and even Libya.

At more than 3,300 metres high, Etna is Europe’s most active volcano and erupts several times a year. Its eruptions, which usually pose no danger, often provide a spectacular sight and attract numerous spectators.

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