Key facts
- Flights suspended at Catania International Airport due to volcanic ash from Mount Etna.
- The airport closure was in effect until 20:00 GMT on Tuesday.
- Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, is approximately 40km from the airport.
- Catania Airport serves about 12 million passengers annually.
- The airport was previously closed for nearly a week last month due to volcanic activity.
All flights have been suspended from Catania International Airport in Sicily due to volcanic ash released from Mount Etna. This marks the second time in recent months that the airport has halted operations because of emissions from Europe's tallest active volcano. Airport officials announced that arrivals and departures, initially stopped on Monday, would remain suspended until 20:00 GMT on Tuesday. The INGV Etneo Observatory had issued a red aviation alert on Monday due to the ongoing volcanic activity. Catania, Italy's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic, typically handles around 12 million passengers annually. The airport was also closed for nearly a week last month during peak season due to similar volcanic activity. Mount Etna stands at 3,324 meters (10,906 feet) and is located approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the airport. Despite the air traffic disruptions, eruptions from Etna often attract large crowds of onlookers to its lava flows, with about 1.5 million people visiting the volcano each year.