Catania airport arrivals resume after Etna eruption

Arrivals at Catania airport in Sicily resumed late Saturday afternoon after being suspended because an eruption at nearby Mount Etna sent volcanic ash into the atmosphere, the airport said.

The airport said flight operations were authorised to resume immediately after the volcanic activity alert level was downgraded from red to orange. It said airspace sectors were back in operation and landing services were being gradually restored.

Arriving flights had been suspended on Saturday morning because of Etna's eruptive activity and volcanic ash. During the earlier suspension, departures by aircraft already at the airport were operating normally, the airport said.

Italy's National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology, which monitors Etna, reported on Saturday afternoon that intense explosive activity was continuing, with alternating phases of stronger and less intense eruptions. A webcam on the institute's website showed a plume of smoke rising from the summit.

Etna, at 3,324 metres, is Europe's tallest active volcano. Catania International Airport serves eastern Sicily and handled about 12 million passengers in 2024.