Ash from Mount Etna grounds flights at Sicily airport

What the report says

Flights at Catania International Airport in Sicily have been suspended because ash from nearby Mount Etna affected operations, according to BBC World News. Airport officials said arrivals and departures were first halted on Monday and are expected to remain suspended until 22:00 on Tuesday, with passengers told to check with their airlines before travelling.

The disruption follows renewed activity at Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano, which led Italy’s INGV Etneo Observatory to issue a red aviation alert. The airport, which is one of Italy’s busiest and usually handles about 12 million passengers a year, said it would provide further updates as the situation develops.

BBC said this is the second time in recent months that Catania Airport has stopped flights because of Etna’s emissions. The airport was also closed for almost a week last month during the busy summer season. The repeated closures have renewed discussion about how closely the airport sits to the volcano, which is around 40km away, and about whether other transport facilities in Sicily should be expanded.

The disruption matters because Catania is a major gateway for the island and for travel in and out of southern Italy. More generally, Etna is one of Europe’s most active volcanoes, so ash-related aviation restrictions are a recurring risk for the region.