Catania Fontanarossa Airport in Sicily was forced to suspend all inbound and outbound flights after volcanic ash from Mount Etna drifted over the airfield on Saturday. The operator extended the closure until 12:00 p.m. on Sunday after renewed eruptive activity and adverse weather conditions made operations unsafe at the key gateway to the island.
The ash plume rose to around 4 kilometres from Etna’s north-east crater and moved towards the airport area, prompting Italy’s volcanology institute to issue a red aviation warning, the highest alert level for civil aviation. That level reflects the risk volcanic ash poses to engines, airframes and runway visibility, especially during take-off and landing.
The restriction followed earlier limits on arrivals, which had been due to expire later on Saturday before the situation worsened. The latest disruption adds to a run of Etna-related interruptions at Catania, where shifting ash clouds regularly force cancellations, diversions and delays across one of southern Italy’s busiest airports.