Ash from Mount Etna grounds flights at Sicily airport
All flights are suspended from one of Italy's busiest airports until Tuesday night.
Ash from Mount Etna grounds flights at Sicily airport
Flights have been suspended at one of Italy’s busiest airports because of volcanic ash from nearby Mount Etna.
It is the second time in recent months that Catania International Airport, on the island of Sicily, has halted flights because of emissions from Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano, which erupts often.
Airport officials said arrivals and departures, which were first stopped on Monday, would remain suspended until 22:00 (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Continued activity at Etna led the INGV Etneo Observatory to issue a red aviation alert on Monday.
In a statement on its website on Tuesday, Catania - Italy’s fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic - said more updates would be provided.
It also told passengers due to fly from Catania to check with their airline for updates before heading to the airport.
Catania, which normally handles about 12 million passengers a year, was shut for almost a week during the peak summer season last month because of volcanic activity.
There have been calls for the airport to close and for other facilities in Sicily to be expanded because of its closeness to Etna.
The volcano, which rises to 3,324 metres (10,906ft), is about 40km (25 miles) from the airport.
Even with the disruption to air traffic, August’s eruption attracted large crowds of onlookers to Etna’s lava flows. About 1.5 million people visit Etna each year.