Ash from Mount Etna paralyzed air traffic at an airport in Sicily
Kyiv • UNN
The eruption of Mount Etna suspended flight arrivals at Catania Airport in Sicily until 18:00 Kyiv time. Passengers are advised to check their flight status due to the significant impact of the ash on operations.
A cloud of ash from Mount Etna paralyzed incoming flights at Catania Airport in Sicily, Italy, UNN writes, citing Reuters.
Details
Incoming flights at Catania Airport in eastern Sicily were suspended until 15:00 GMT (18:00 Kyiv time) on Monday after volcanic ash from Etna’s new eruption spread into the airspace around the airport, operator SAC said.
Etna, which towers over Sicily’s eastern coast, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and frequently disrupts air traffic in Catania, the island’s main airport and Italy’s fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic.
"As the situation is significantly affecting operations, passengers are advised to check their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport," SAC said in a statement on Monday.
The situation is being constantly monitored, and further updates will be provided depending on developments in volcanic activity and weather conditions, it added.
According to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the latest phase of the eruption of Europe’s highest volcano continued from vents at altitudes of 2,750 meters and 2,360 meters, feeding several lava flows and creating large lava fields.
The INGV Volcano Observatory’s Aviation Color Code (VONA) warning remains at the highest alert level—red—indicating an ongoing hazard to aircraft due to ash emissions.