Etna ash closes Catania airport until at least midnight
SAC suspended all flight operations after ash drifted south from the volcano, with some services redirected to Palermo and Comiso.
Catania airport suspended all flight operations until at least midnight local time on Monday after ash from Mount Etna disrupted services over the weekend. The airport operator, SAC, said the restriction had been extended.
Where possible, arrivals and departures were being transferred to Palermo and Comiso airports. SAC advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling to the airport.
Ash from Etna’s north-east crater was being carried south by the wind. Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the ash did not appear to indicate an imminent explosive phase.
Catania is Sicily’s largest airport hub and Italy’s fifth-busiest. Flights have been disrupted repeatedly this summer by Etna, with ash a more common cause than eruptions.
The source did not report how many flights or passengers were affected, or whether the suspension was lifted after Monday midnight.
