Flights resumed at Sicily’s largest airport in Catania at 6 am local time today after an eruption from Mount Etna forced the airport to close on Monday. The airport authorities asked the passengers to contact the airline for further information. On Monday, Incoming flights were diverted to other airports in Sicily. It is the peak of the summer holiday season in Italy, with Tuesday being a public holiday. The 10,925-foot-high volcano burst into action overnight, firing lava and ash over the Mediterranean island, as reported by Reuters.
The Mayor of Catania, Enrico Tarantino, imposed a ban on the use of motorcycles and bicycles for the next 48 hours "because several areas are covered with a layer of volcanic ash", city hall said on its website, as quoted by the news agency.
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The ash can quickly become slippery on roads, leading to an increase in the risk of accidents. At nearly 11,000 feet, Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe and has erupted frequently in the past 500,000 years. Recently, Catania airport was shut for a day on May 21 following an eruption. Around 10 million passengers transited through the airport last year.
The latest cancellations at the airport in Catania came a month after a fire at a terminal building resulted in weeks of disruptions for passengers.
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Last month, at least five people were found dead in Italy due to violent storms in the north and wildfires in Sicily, the news agency AFP reported. Firefighters on the island spent a night battling wildfires. Terming the situation "very serious", firefighters reported more than 200 calls for help across Milan, the news agency reported.
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