Catania, Sept 15. (dpa/GNA) – The airport at Catania in Sicily is closed, due to an ash cloud from Mount Etna, the authorities said, cancelling all take-offs and landings near the city until Tuesday at 10 pm (2000 GMT).
Several dozen flights have been cancelled since Monday, including many international connections.
Europe’s most active volcano has been emitting ash since Sunday. The ash cloud reaches four kilometres into the sky, according to the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
Aviation is now subject to red alert, the highest of four levels, as was the case last month. This means an eruption with a significant release of ash is imminent or already under way. Nobody yet knows how long this will last.
The airport at Catania is used by large numbers of foreign visitors wishing to holiday on Italy’s largest Mediterranean island.
In August, it took more than a week before an alert could be lifted.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled at the height of the main travel season. More than 100,000 holidaymakers were affected.
Mount Etna, which stands at more than 3,300 metres, erupts regularly, and is kept under constant scientific surveillance.
GNA