Ash from Sicily's Mount Etna suspends arrivals at airport

Volcanic ash emissions from Mount Etna forced the suspension of airport arrivals at Catania, a major Italian tourist destination, earlier today. The eruption, which escalated during Thursday evening, triggered a significant ash cloud that spread southeast, prompting authorities to downgrade the volcanic activity alert level from Red to Orange. Following this downgrade, flight operations were authorized to resume immediately, according to a statement from Catania airport.

Airspace sectors have since returned to operation, and landing services are being restored gradually. Arriving flights were halted this morning due to Etna's eruptive activity and the subsequent release of volcanic ash into the atmosphere. The intense volcanic activity began with a powerful lava fountain overnight, generating a new lava flow in the Valle del Leone from a vent opened at around 2,750 meters altitude.

Smoke plumes were visible from the volcano's summit, as captured by a webcam on the National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology's website, which monitors Mount Etna.

Standing at 3,324 meters, Mount Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe and has experienced frequent eruptions over the past 500,000 years. In 2024, Catania International Airport handled approximately 12 million passengers, making it a crucial transportation hub for the eastern part of Sicily, one of Italy's most sought-after tourist destinations.