Mount Etna ash grounds flights at Catania airport through Friday

Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain grounded until early Friday (Aug. 14) as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing volcanic activity continues to disrupt air travel during the busy summer season, according to Reuters.

All arrivals and departures at the airport will remain suspended until 2 a.m. local time on Aug. 14, airport operator SAC said in a statement Wednesday.

The latest closure follows a turbulent week for air travel in Sicily, with hundreds of flights cancelled or rerouted due to volcanic ash from Etna.

Passengers travelling through Catania are being advised to check their flight status directly with their airline before heading to the airport.

The extended restrictions come during the height of the summer holiday season and are affecting thousands of travellers while adding pressure to other airports across Sicily.

Catania is Italy’s fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and serves as a major gateway to eastern Sicily.

Flight disruptions linked to Etna are not unusual. Europe’s highest and most active volcano frequently produces ash clouds that interfere with operations at the airport.

The latest volcanic activity began Aug. 6 and has been more energetic than previous episodes, according to Marco Viccaro, president of the Italian Volcanological Association.

The activity is continuing at a sustained level.

The disruption comes as Catania airport operator SAC moves forward with the sale of a stake of at least 51 per cent in the company, a process launched in May.

Additionally, as many as 19 flights were cancelled Tuesday at Malta International Airport.

A spokesperson for the airport told the Times of Malta that 10 arrivals and nine departures have been cancelled.

The airport said flight operations are “currently being impacted by volcanic ash following recent activity at Mount Etna.”

At 3,324 metres (nearly 11,000 feet), Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe and has erupted frequently in the past 500,000 years.

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