Flights to Sicily’s Catania airport suspended amid Mount Etna eruption

All incoming flights to Catania Airport in Sicily have been suspended until 16:00 local time on Monday due to increased volcanic activity at Mount Etna, the airport operator said.

The temporary closure affects air traffic in the C1 sector and has led to the suspension of arriving flights, according to the operator. Passengers have been advised to check directly with their airlines for the latest information before travelling to the airport, foreign media reports.

Scientists are closely monitoring activity at Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano. While eruptions are relatively common and the volcano generally poses no immediate threat to the public, they can disrupt air traffic because of ash and other volcanic emissions .

The latest disruption comes less than a month after an eruption at Mount Etna affected operations at Catania Airport for nearly 10 days, resulting in the cancellation or rescheduling of around 1,000 flights.

Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation, with further decisions on airport operations expected to depend on the volcano’s activity.

By Sabina Mammadli