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Arrivals at Catania Airport in Italy were suspended on Saturday after Mount Etna erupted, sending ash and smoke into the sky and disrupting air traffic.
According to airport authorities, the airspace affected by the volcanic ash cloud was closed as a safety measure. “All arriving flights at Catania Airport are suspended until 12:00 local time (1000 GMT),” the airport said in a statement, adding that departures were continuing as scheduled.
Mount Etna, located on the island of Sicily, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. A thick plume of smoke was seen rising from its summit, according to live webcam footage monitored by Italy’s National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology.
Standing at about 3,324 metres (nearly 11,000 feet), Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe and has a long history of frequent eruptions.
Catania International Airport, which serves eastern Sicily, handled around 12 million passengers in 2024 and is a key gateway to one of Italy’s most popular tourist regions.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as volcanic activity persists.