Mount Etna eruption forces closure of Sicily's Catania airport

ROME: The airport at Catania in Sicily, a top Italian tourist destination, has halted all flights after a new eruption at nearby Mount Etna, its operator said on Monday.

“Because of an eruption at Etna… all departures and arrivals are cancelled until 1:00 pm [1100 GMT],” the airport posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

At 3,324 metres (nearly 11,000 feet), Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe and has erupted frequently in the past 500,000 years.

Most recently, Catania airport was closed for a day on May 21 due to an eruption

Around 10 million passengers last year transited through the airport, which services the eastern part of Sicily.