Mount Etna Eruption Grounds Flights at Sicily's Catania Airport
Mount Etna's eruption closed Catania Airport airspace, diverting flights and stranding passengers until operations resumed Saturday afternoon.
Travellers at Catania Airport on the Italian island of Sicily faced significant disruption on Saturday as Mount Etna, Europe's largest and most active volcano, erupted and sent a cloud of volcanic ash into the atmosphere.
The airport authority announced the closure of the airspace corresponding to the ash cloud to the south-west, designated sector C1, and suspended all inbound flights until 12:00 local time (1000 GMT). Flights scheduled to land in Catania were diverted to other airports across Sicily, while many outbound services were cancelled.
The disruption left passengers stranded on the ground — residents preparing to depart for holidays and tourists hoping to return to their home countries alike. Video footage showed travellers waiting outside the terminal, queuing inside, and sitting on the floor as they awaited updates.
The National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology, which monitors Etna, reported intense explosive activity at the Voragine crater, with alternating phases of high and lower intensity.
After the volcanic alert level was downgraded from RED to ORANGE, the airport authorised the resumption of flight operations on Saturday afternoon, allowing services to gradually return to normal.
Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, is a popular destination for hikers and backpackers, while other visitors view its dramatic eruptions from a distance, often from the waters of the Ionian Sea.