Volcanic Ash Clouds Sicily, Catania Airport Suspends Flights

Mount Etna has erupted again on the Italian island of Sicily, sending an ash plume nearly 4 kilometres into the air. The eruption disrupted air traffic, prompting Catania Airport to suspend all incoming flights on Saturday (September 27).

According to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), a red aviation alert was issued following the eruption. Airspace sector C-1 was also closed, leading to restrictions on both landings and take-offs at Catania Airport.

The airport authorities said all incoming flights were suspended until 4pm local time due to volcanic ash. Before the full suspension, the airport had reduced the number of permitted arrivals from 12 to a maximum of four flights per hour.

At least 10 ITA Airways flights were diverted before the complete suspension. Five were redirected to Palermo, three to Trapani and two to Comiso. A Volotea flight was also diverted to Comiso.

Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in Sicily, and its eruptions and ash emissions have disrupted flights at Catania Airport on previous occasions. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and imposing flight restrictions to ensure air safety.

Ashik/M.