Italy's Catania airport closes again due to Etna volcano, after brief reopening

Italy's ​Catania airport ​closed again on ‌Tuesday after ​renewed disruption linked to the Mount Etna volcano, ‌only hours after it had reopened following a three-day closure. Airport operator SAC said ‌flight operations had been halted until 1300 ‌GMT because of volcanic activity and current weather conditions.

It advised passengers to check the ⁠status ​of ⁠their flights with their airlines before travelling to ⁠the airport, adding updates would follow. 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.