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Italy's Catania airport keeps flights suspended until midnight due to Etna ash
SAC said arrivals and departures are being diverted to Palermo and Comiso as the airport keeps flights halted for safety.
Catania Airport suspended all flights for a third consecutive day on Monday as volcanic ash from Mount Etna disrupted operations at Italy's fifth-busiest airport.
Europe's highest and most active volcano, Mount Etna, erupted a 4-kilometre ash cloud from its north-east crater, prompting authorities to issue a red flight warning—the highest alert level on a four-step scale.
The Federal Aviation Administration warns that flying into volcanic ash is "exceedingly dangerous," as abrasive particles can damage aircraft engines, reduce visibility, and make runways slippery.
SAC, the airport operator, extended the flight suspension to monitor volcanic conditions while urging passengers to verify their flight status with airlines before traveling to the facility.
Frequent eruptions of Mount Etna often disrupt transit at the Sicilian facility, with recurring ash emissions creating persistent operational challenges during peak travel periods and affecting thousands of travelers.
Bad news for Sicily tourists: Catania airport remains closed for the third day in a row. Etna volcano has been causing air traffic problems for several weeks.
Sicily's Catania airport extended flight restrictions on Monday due to a thick cloud of ash from nearby Etna volcano, disrupting air traffic since the weekend.
It is usually an important point of contact for international flights to and from Sicily. However, a huge ash cloud has been blocking air traffic at Catania airport for three days.