Catania Airport Closed Due to Smoke and Ash from Mount Etna

Catania Airport in Sicily was temporarily closed today due to activity from Mount Etna as the volcano rumbled, spewing ash and smoke. “Arrivals and departures from Catania Airport have been suspended,” its operators said in a post on its website.

The airport, which handles around 12 million passengers a year, was closed for a week in August, in the middle of the summer season.

In Italy, many people are calling for the airport in question to be closed permanently and for other airports in Sicily to be strengthened.

The eruption of Mount Etna in August drew large numbers of visitors who wanted to see the volcano’s impressive lava flow up close. At 3,324 meters high, Mount Etna is undoubtedly the tallest active volcano in Europe.