Catania Airport has suspended flights / Mount Etna erupted again, sending ash up to an altitude of 4 kilometers

Catania Airport has suspended all flight operations until noon on Sunday, September 27, following a new eruption of Mount Etna, which sent an ash cloud into the atmosphere. The measure was extended from the initial deadline, set for Saturday afternoon, following a red-level alert issued by the Observatory of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).

Volcanic ash reached an altitude of approximately four kilometers and is being carried by the wind southward, toward the city of Catania. Airport representatives advised passengers to check the status of their flights with the airlines before traveling to the terminal.

Meanwhile, the Sicilian city was affected by a powerful storm and heavy rain. Mount Etna, one of Europe’s most active volcanoes, frequently disrupts air traffic in eastern Sicily. A similar episode occurred on Thursday, while activity that began on August 7 led this summer to the cancellation and rerouting of several flights because of ash clouds.