Europe’s Tallest Volcano Erupts Halting Flights
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ROME/AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – Europe’s tallest volcano, Mount Etna, erupted over Italy’s island of Sicily, impacting air traffic.
A cloud of ash and smoke from one of the world’s most active volcanoes halted flights at the regional Catania airport for much of the day.
The restrictions were lifted late Sunday, but the airport warned of continued “possible delays and cancellations” due to the earlier restrictions.
As pilots struggle with visibility, several flights have been diverted to airports such as Palermo and Comiso.
Millions of passengers pass through the Catania airport every year. It serves the eastern part of Sicily, which includes tourist sites such as Syracuse and Taormina.
Etna has seen intense activity in recent weeks, spewing hot ash and lava on several occasions since early July.
LAVA FOUNTAIN
Twice last month, the airport suspended all flights after eruptions spewed volcanic ash over runways.
On Sunday, Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology reported a “lava fountain” gushing from the volcano.
Mount Etna is about 3,324 meters (around 10,900 feet) high. Although the UNESCO World Heritage Site is in an almost constant state of activity, eruption casualties are rare.
Yet two tourists were killed in 1987 by an explosion near the summit.
It was unclear how much impact the Etna eruption would have on essential flights, such as foreigners fleeing Lebanon in anticipation of a full-scale war between Hezbollah and Israel.
However, it comes as European airports already face more traffic than usual during the summer holiday season.
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