Catania airport resumes flights as Mount Etna alert level downgraded to orange
Italy’s Catania airport reopened and resumed flights Tuesday after a brief halt due to renewed Etna activity and adverse weather, with the volcanic alert level cut from red to orange.
(Releads with reopening) ROME, Sept 29 (Reuters) — Italy's Catania airport resumed flights on Tuesday after briefly halting operations due to renewed volcanic activity from nearby Mount Etna and adverse weather conditions, in the latest stop-and-go disruption to air traffic. Operator SAC said flights to and from the airport had resumed with immediate effect after the volcanic alert level was lowered from red to orange. The hub had previously suspended operations until 1300 GMT on Tuesday, only hours after ending a three-day shutdown on Monday evening.
The Sicilian airport, Italy's fifth-busiest by passenger traffic, is often disrupted by volcanic ash interference from Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano. The latest shutdown affected thousands of passengers and placed significant pressure on other Sicilian airports, as airlines diverted flights away from Catania. 80307714;)