Etna eruption closes Catania airport

Catania airport was shut and flights to and from the Sicilian city were cancelled after Mount Etna erupted, spewing ash and molten lava kilometres into the air.

The volcano erupted on Wednesday night with columns of lava and ash reaching up to 9.5km high, according to Italy’s Istituto di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (IGV). IGV said the volcano calmed down in the early hours of Thursday.

Nonetheless, Catania airport was shut because of the danger posed by the fine ash that clouded the atmosphere and covered the runway. The airport is expected to remain shut until 6pm on Thursday.

A flight from Malta to Catania scheduled to depart at 6am had to be cancelled, including the return flight.

The volcanic eruption came at the pinnacle of the holiday season, known in Italy as Ferragosto, disrupting travel for thousands of passengers.

Sicilian regional newspaper La Sicilia reported that the eruption caused pyroclastic material from the volcano to fall in the localities of Vetore, Nicolosi, Ragalna and Pedara.