The eruption of Etna brought air traffic at Catania Airport to a halt
The Catania Airport on the Italian island of Sicily has suspended flight arrivals and departures due to new volcanic ash emissions from Mount Etna. The restrictions will remain in effect until at least 4:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to Deutsche Welle.
Volcanic ash poses a danger to aircraft, so regulators have restricted access to the airspace over eastern Sicily. The airport operator, SAC, has advised passengers to check the status of their flights directly with their airlines. The eruption of Etna and a shift in wind direction have been causing disruptions to air travel in the region since last Friday, and in recent days, the airspace has been completely closed.
The prolonged restrictions in Catania have increased the strain on other Sicilian airports at the height of the summer tourist season. According to Palermo Mayor Roberto Lagalla, his city’s airport has handled about 190 flights in recent days that were originally scheduled to land in the eastern part of the island.
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According to the Italian news agency ANSA, Comiso Airport, located south of Catania, resumed flights on Wednesday after operations were suspended late Tuesday evening. Some of the ash also drifted over the Mediterranean Sea toward Malta, where significant delays and some flight cancellations were reported. Malta International Airport warned of possible further disruptions, while noting that conditions were improving.
Etna is a stratovolcano approximately 3,400 meters high on the eastern coast of Sicily. It is one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe and the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps. It is almost constantly in a state of low activity and has repeatedly disrupted operations at Catania Airport in previous years.
