Mount Etna on Italy's Sicily island erupted again, spewing ash several kilometers high and disrupting air travel. Catania Airport has ordered a suspension of inbound and outbound flights for the second consecutive day, with passengers awaiting updates on the situation.
Vincenzo Bellini Airport in Catania, Italy, remained closed for flights on Sunday, 27 September, following Mount Etna's eruption that sent volcanic ash into the atmosphere, impacting air travel in the region.
Initially, the airport announced a suspension of all inbound and outbound flights until noon on Sunday, but this was later extended until 23:59 due to ongoing volcanic ash and unfavorable wind conditions. Passengers were advised to check their flight status with their airlines before heading to the airport, as situations regarding ash and flights could change with weather and wind shifts.
Previously on Saturday, the airport had reduced its landing capacity to only 4 flights per hour from the usual 12 before suspending all flights entirely. At least 10 ITA Airways flights were rerouted to other airports on Sicily, including Palermo, Trapani, and Comiso.
According to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), volcanic activity occurred at Etna's northeast crater, sending ash clouds approximately 4 kilometers above the volcano. This prompted a red aviation warning, the highest level in the four-tier alert system.
Meanwhile, the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in France reported on 27 September that thin, narrow ash clouds from Etna were still drifting southwest following wind direction, although the ash emission intensity was low at that time.
,AP
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