Travel to and from the Italian island of Sicily is currently disrupted due to a volcanic eruption. Catania international airport was closed due to the eruption of Mount Etna which caused ash clouds to reach a height of 8 km into the air. The airport management said: "This suspension will result in cancellations and/or diversions of routes to other airports," and stated that normal operations would resume after the ashfall ended. Airline Aeroitalia has reported that the airport will be closed until 6pm today (Tuesday). No flights landed or departed in Catania, on the island's east coast. Some flights were diverted to Palermo and Comiso airports while others were cancelled.
Local residents reported hearing loud rumbling sounds coming from Mount Etna and their windows shaking. Airport authorities advised passengers flying from Catania to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. While no official figures have been released, the airport's departure board currently shows canceled flights as of 4:10 p.m. local time. No status is given for flights after this time. For departures between 1 and 3 p.m., five were diverted to Palermo and one to Comiso.
7 сен 2024
