Mount Etna volcano halts flights at Sicily's busiest airport for two days
Kyiv • UNN
Catania Airport in Sicily resumed flights after the volcanic activity danger level was reduced from red to orange. Passengers are advised to check their flight status before traveling.
Flights have resumed at the busiest airport on the Italian island of Sicily after a two-day closure due to volcanic activity on Mount Etna, reports UNN citing Euronews.
Details
In a statement, Catania Airport said: "Following the reduction of the danger level regarding volcanic activity from red to orange, flights have been authorized to resume immediately."
However, passengers are still "strongly recommended" to check the status of their flight with their airline before traveling to the airport.
Flights were suspended on July 5 and 6, with dozens of them diverted to Palermo Airport.
In the latest bulletin from the volcano observatory for aviation, published around 7 a.m. CEST, it was noted that ash emissions are "decreasing" and "limited to the summit area," so the danger level has been lowered to orange.
On June 26 at 7:30 p.m., the Italian Civil Protection Department raised the danger level for Europe's most active volcano from green to yellow after an "increase in volcanic tremors." This danger level remains in effect.
Stunning drone footage last week showed rivers of lava flowing down the volcano.
Source: Euronews
Catania Airport, located approximately 45 kilometers from Mount Etna, is served by airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, KLM, and Lufthansa, among others.