Flights resume at Italy's Catania after Etna ash disruption

A person looks on as smoke and lava rise from a crater of Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano in Italy July 23, 2024. /Etna Walk/Marco Restivo

ROME - Flights serving the eastern #Sicilian city of Catania were halted for much of the day on Tuesday after an eruption from nearby Mount #Etna, bringing fresh travel woe during the peak summer tourist season.

Reduced #volcanic activity meant that departures were able to resume from 6 p.m. (1600 GMT), with some arrivals to be allowed two hours later and the airport due to be fully operational by 10 p.m., the airport operator said on X.

Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has seen intense activity in recent days, spewing hot ash and lava. Some of the ash had drifted on to runways and #aircraft.

The airport had already been closed earlier this month due to ash in the sky. It acts as a hub for the east of Sicily and attracts more arrivals than the capital Palermo.

The airline operator had earlier warned that the suspension of flights on Tuesday would cause cancellations or the rerouting of traffic to other airports.

- (Reuters)