Mount Etna eruption forces Sicily's airports to suspend flights – photo report

Mount Etna's volcanic eruption has prompted Sicily's Catania Airport to halt all flights until at least 2:00 AM local time on August 14, with officials warning the closure may persist longer, according to DW. The continuous ash emissions from the mountain have disrupted Sicilian air travel for several days, leading to hundreds of flights being grounded, mass cancellations, and forced diversions to Palermo and Comiso airports.

Passengers stranded at the affected airports face packed trains and exorbitant taxi fares throughout Sicily. The ash cloud spreading from the eruption has also caused chaos in neighboring Malta, triggering numerous flight cancellations within a 48-hour span. Mount Etna has been emitting ash and hot rock debris since August 7, with lava flows emanating from two vents at heights of 2,360 and 2,750 meters, as reported by Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.

Two additional lava fissures have emerged on the mountain. Known as Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna has disrupted travel in Sicily prior to this eruption, when airlines were compelled to cancel numerous flights in early July.