Etna ash prompts extended closure of Catania airport, disrupting peak-season travel

CATANIA, Sicily, Aug 12 - Flights at Sicily's Catania airport were suspended again on Wednesday as fresh ash emissions from Mount Etna forced authorities to extend airspace restrictions, disrupting travel during the peak summer holiday season.

Airport operator SAC said arrivals and departures would remain suspended until 1600 GMT after aviation authorities closed the affected sector of airspace around eastern Sicily.

"Passengers are advised to check the status of their flights with their airlines. Further updates will follow in the coming hours," SAC said in a statement.

The impact of the latest eruption was felt beyond Sicily, with flight cancellations and significant delays reported overnight in neighbouring Malta as volcanic ash drifted south across the Mediterranean.

Conditions appeared to improve on Wednesday, although Malta International Airport continued to warn passengers of possible disruptions.

Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano, frequently disrupts operations at Catania airport, which is Sicily's main gateway and Italy's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic.

Travel disruptions have impacted eastern Sicily since last week, when renewed volcanic activity and shifting winds began carrying ash across the region.

The prolonged restrictions at Catania have placed additional pressure on Sicily's other airports during one of the busiest periods of the tourist season.

Palermo Mayor Roberto Lagalla said the city's airport had absorbed 190 flights originally scheduled to arrive at or depart from Catania in recent days.

Some passengers rerouted to Palermo complained of inadequate assistance with onward transportation, as demand for buses and taxis surged following their arrival. Extra traffic has also caused delays at Palermo airport, operators said.

Comiso airport, a smaller facility south of Catania that has also been used in recent days to absorb traffic, has returned to full operations after suspending flights on Tuesday evening due to ash from Mount Etna, Italian news agency ANSA reported on Wednesday. REUTERS