Mount Etna in Sicily has erupted again, sending huge plumes of volcanic ash into the sky and forcing the cancellation of flights at Catania Airport. The airport, which serves hundreds of thousands of British holidaymakers each year, suspended all incoming flights yesterday (Sunday) and will remain closed until 2pm today. Italy’s national airline, ITA Airways, has confirmed that all departing and arriving flights at Catania Airport would either be cancelled or rescheduled. Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology raised the aviation alert level to
red after detecting intense activity at Etna. Dramatic image show Strombolian eruptions – huge bursts of lava and hot rock blasting from the vent of the volcano. On Sunday, the volcano began spewing ash from a vent on the upper eastern flank of the Voragine summit crater at around 7.45am local time. The activity intensified into the morning, with plumes of ash rising about a mile above the crater. By the evening, it was sending glowing fragments of lava into the sky.
Mount Etna eruption, Catania Airport closure, red aviation alert, ITA Airways, volcanic ash, Sicily travel disruption, Strombolian eruptions
So like, do they just close the airport forever now or what?
Red alert… for ash… but can’t planes just go around it? This seems like an overreaction. My cousin keeps posting pics from Sicily though.
Wait I thought Etna is the one that always has lava, not ash?? If it’s ‘red’ alert, doesn’t that mean like nuclear-level danger lol. Also 2pm today, so they just magically know the volcano will calm down? People are gonna be stranded.
British holidaymakers again… smh. They say it’s canceled till 2pm but airlines will “reschedule” which usually means you sit in an airport all day anyway. I saw someone say Strombolian eruptions are just normal and not that bad, but then they’re canceling everything so idk. Wish they’d close it until it’s actually done, not when the clock says 2.