Catania-Fontanarossa airport in Sicily remains closed to takeoffs and landings due to ash thrown up by Mount Etna. The restriction, introduced the previous day, has been extended until midnight local time, the airport operator said.
The deadline for the flight suspension is 22:00 GMT. The decision affects both arriving and departing planes from Catania airport.
Ash moves south
Etna is spewing ash from its northeastern crater, and the wind is blowing it south. According to the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, the cloud rose to a height of about 4 kilometers.
Etna is the most active volcano in Europe and has repeatedly disrupted the airport in recent months. In some cases, flights were completely stopped, in others - significantly reduced due to volcanic ash.
Passengers are being redirected to other airports
Catania-Fontanarossa is the largest airport in Sicily and the fifth largest in Italy. It serves a large number of foreign tourists, and its closure is leading to the redirection of passengers to the airports in Palermo and Comiso.
The airport operator advises passengers to check the status of their flight with the airline before heading to the terminal. After the announced deadline, the resumption of flights will depend on the state of the airspace and the spread of ash.
Sources: BTA, Reuters, DPA