On Tuesday, July 23, Mount Etna in Italy erupted, sending ash clouds as high as 8 kilometers into the sky, which temporarily halted operations at Catania International Airport.
The airport operator announced on social media platform X that all flight activities would be suspended until Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. Later updates revealed that flights would resume take off from 6 p.m. onward due to a decrease in volcanic activity, with four aircraft allowed to land per hour starting from 8 p.m., and full flight operations restored after 10 p.m.
According to reports from Reuters, Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and has intensified its activity in recent days, spewing out hot volcanic ash and lava. Some of the volcanic ash drifted onto runways and aircraft.
Earlier this month, the airport was also closed due to volcanic ash in the sky. The airport serves as a hub in the eastern part of Sicily, attracting more tourists than the island’s capital, Palermo.
Local residents reported hearing loud roars coming from Mount Etna, causing windows to shake, as per Euronews.
The airline had earlier warned that the suspension of flights on Tuesday would result in cancellations or rerouting to other airports.