By Priyanka Deshpande
CNBC-TV18.com
Published July 23, 2024
Flights to and from Catania in eastern Sicily were suspended for much of Tuesday following an eruption from Mount Etna, causing significant disruption during the peak summer tourist season, according to the airport operator.
According to the news agency Reuters, SAC, the management company of Catania-Fontanarossa airport, announced that airport operations will be suspended until 6 pm (1600 GMT).
Clean-up operations commenced as soon as the ash showers began to subside, including the decontamination of affected aircraft.
Earlier, the airline operator had warned that Tuesday's flight suspension would lead to cancellations or rerouting of traffic to other airports.
Catania airport, which serves as a hub for eastern Sicily and attracts more arrivals than the capital Palermo, had also been closed earlier this month due to ash in the sky.
Mount Etna is one of the world's most active volcanoes and has recently experienced intense activity, ejecting hot ash and lava.