Italy facing further travel chaos as Mount Etna ash keeps popular airport closed

All inward and outward flights at Catania airport have been halted

CATANIA, Sicily, Aug 13 - Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday because of ash from Mount Etna's ongoing volcanic activity, which has forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled or rerouted over the past week.

Spectacular images of lava flowing down the slopes of an erupting Mount Etna have drawn flocks of sometimes ill-equipped tourists to the Italian volcano – drawing concern from local guides.

Hundreds of passengers have been left stranded at Italy’s Catania airport after Mount Etna erupted.

The eruption of Mount Etna continues to bring air traffic in Sicily to a standstill, forcing Catania–Fontanarossa airport to close temporarily as ash reached Malta and as far away as Libya.

Etna ash prompts extended closure of Catania airport, disrupting peak-season travel  Reuters

Civil protection minister says he tried to get it moved when he was provincial president

Rivers of lava pour from new vents on Italy’s Mount Etna  CNN

Mount Etna: Huge volcanic eruption causes flight cancellations at popular British holiday hotspot  GB News

Mount Etna, on the Italian island of Sicily, has erupted again, sending ash and lava into the air and causing flight chaos at Catania Airport

Mount Etna's eruption has grounded flights at Catania Airport, disrupting UK holiday plans. Here's what travellers need to know before flying.

All inbound flights to Catania Airport in Sicily have been suspended until 5pm following Mount Etna's latest eruption

Catania Airport in Sicily has suspended all inbound flights after volcanic ash from Mount Etna's latest eruption spread into nearby airspace

Passengers have been urged to check the status of their flights with their airlines.

Etna, which towers over Sicily's east coast, is one of the world's most active volcanoes and frequently disrupts air traffic at Catania, the island's main airport and Italy's fifth busiest.

The airport at Catania in Sicily, a top Italian tourist destination, reopened late this afternoon after arrivals were suspended when an eruption at nearby Mount Etna spewed volcanic ash.

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