Etna Ash Suspends Arrivals at Italy’s Catania Airport

Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted on Saturday, releasing smoke and ash that forced the suspension of flight arrivals at a nearby airport on the Italian island of Sicily.

Catania Airport, which serves the eastern part of Sicily, announced the closure of its airspace due to the volcanic ash cloud. "Due to Etna's eruptive activity and the associated release of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, the airspace corresponding to the cloud (Sector C1) has been closed," the airport said in a statement. "All arriving flights at Catania Airport are suspended until 12:00 local time (1000 GMT)."

Webcam footage from the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology, which monitors the volcano, showed a plume of smoke billowing from Etna's summit. Standing at 3,324 meters (nearly 11,000 feet), Mount Etna is Europe's tallest active volcano and has a history of frequent eruptions over the past half-million years.

While arrivals were halted, the airport confirmed that departures of aircraft already at the airport were operating as usual. Catania International Airport is a significant hub, having handled approximately 12 million passengers in 2024, serving one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations.

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Due to Etna's eruptive activity and the associated release of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, the airspace corresponding to the cloud (Sector C1) has been closed. All arriving flights at Catania Airport are suspended until 12:00 local time (1000 GMT).