Etna has erupted again, causing disruptions at Catania airport. Flights to and from the Sicilian city have been suspended due to falling volcanic ash, airport officials said Thursday.
On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the highest volcano in Europe threw out a ten-kilometer-high fountain of lava and smoke. In the morning, Etna began to calm down, but the eruption did not remain without impact on the operations of the airport in Catania, near which the volcano is located.
The airport is not working
Initially, airport authorities announced that due to increased volcanic activity, the number of arrivals had been limited to five per hour until 9 a.m. on Thursday.
On Thursday morning, however, it was reported that due to falling volcanic ash, the airport runway could not be used. Both arrivals and departures were suspended. It is currently assumed that they will resume at 6:00 p.m.
Passengers were urged to contact the airline for information on the status of their flights.
Etna, a 3,330-meter-high volcano in Sicily, is the highest volcanic cone in Europe and one of the most active in the world. It has the longest documented eruption history of any volcano, with the first records dating back to 425 BC.
Main image source: Reuters