Sicilian airport suspends all flights amid Mount Etna volcanic ash eruptions
- Catania airport in Sicily was forced to suspend all incoming flights on Monday until 4pm local time (1400 GMT) due to persistent volcanic ash emissions from Mount Etna.
- The latest travel disruption follows a five-day shutdown of the Sicilian aviation hub last month during the peak Ferragosto holiday, which represented the longest emergency closure at the airport since 2002.
- Airport operator SAC revealed that 36 per cent of arrivals scheduled between 6 and 12 August were cancelled, while more than 600 flights were diverted to alternative destinations including Palermo and Trapani.
- Volcanology researcher Boris Behncke warned that persistent volcanic ash emissions pose significant risks to aviation safety, as ash sucked into aircraft engines can cause them to stall.
- The ongoing flight cancellations and rerouting of passengers triggered severe local transport disruption and price gouging, prompting consumer association Codacons to file a complaint regarding soaring taxi and car rental rates.
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