Around 700 flights canceled at Catania Airport following Mount Etna eruption
Approximately 700 flights were cancelled or disrupted at Catania Airport between August 8 and 11 following the eruption of Mount Etna, Qazinform News Agency learned from Agenzia Nova.
According to data published by SAC, the company that manages Catania Airport, around 400 flights were cancelled, with another 52 cancellations expected today.
More than 250 flights have also been rescheduled to alternative airports.
Since the emergency began, more than 100 flights have been diverted to Comiso, while around 50 were diverted to Palermo yesterday alone and another 22 to Trapani.
The disruption has renewed debate over the long-term vulnerability of Catania's Fontanarossa Airport, given its proximity to Mount Etna.
Nello Musumeci, Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, said the current crisis highlights a problem he first raised nearly three decades ago.
Earlier, it was reported that Guatemala had declared a nationwide orange alert after the Fuego volcano eruption.