Etna ash keeps Catania airport shut until Friday, disrupting summer travel

CATANIA, Sicily, Aug 13 - Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday because of ash from Mount Etna's ongoing volcanic activity, which has forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled or rerouted over the past week.

All arrivals and departures at the island hub, Italy's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic, will be suspended through 2 a.m. local time on August 14, airport operator SAC said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Passengers were advised to check the status of their flights with their airlines before travelling to the airport.

The prolonged restrictions come at the height of the summer holiday season, affecting thousands of passengers, and have placed additional pressure on Sicily's other airports.

Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano, frequently disrupts operations at Catania airport, whose operator launched the sale of a stake of at least 51% in May.

Marco Viccaro, president of the Italian Volcanological Association, said the activity at Etna, which began on August 6, is more energetic than previous episodes and is continuing in a sustained way.

"This suggests that deeper, gas-rich magma is playing a more active role, making the fragmentation process more efficient and leading to increased ash production, which is severely disrupting air traffic to and from Catania airport," he added. REUTERS