Catania Airport has been closed to flights due to heavy ash emissions from Mount Etna on the Italian island of Sicily.
In a statement posted on the social media account of SAC, the operator of Catania Airport, it was announced that all takeoffs and landings at the airport have been suspended until 4:00 p.m. local time due to volcanic activity at Mount Etna.
The suspension of flights at the airport—which ranks as Italy’s fifth-busiest in terms of passenger traffic—has left thousands of travelers stranded in the middle of the tourist season.
Eruptions at Mount Etna—Europe’s tallest and most active volcano—frequently disrupt air travel in the region, and experts noted that ash emissions during this period have reached an unusually high level. Airport officials reported that cleanup efforts are continuing nonstop to clear the runways of ash and restore flight safety.
