Mount Etna eruption forces airport closure in Italy

The company that manages Catania Airport in Sicily announced this morning that all morning flights departing from or arriving at the airport are canceled due to the eruption of Mount Etna, as ash covers the airspace of the area.

"Due to an eruption of Mount Etna (...), all departures and arrivals are canceled until 13:00" (14:00 Greece time), as announced by the airport through the X platform, formerly Twitter. Passengers are requested to contact their respective airlines for more information.

Etna volcano (Sicily, Italy): paroxysm episode followed intense strombolian activity last night, impressive lava fountains and new lava flow from South East crater

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[Local Team]pic.twitter.com/qUy1u4VP2Q

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 14, 2023

With a height of 3,324 meters, Mount Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe. It has erupted repeatedly over the past 500,000 years.

Last year, around 10 million passengers passed through Catania's international airport, which serves the eastern part of Sicily, one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations.