Hundreds of flights have been canceled following the eruption of Europe’s largest volcano. Mount Etna, located on the Italian island of Sicily, has caused major travel chaos after it began spewing ash and lava on August 6. On Wednesday, Sicily’s Catania airport, the fifth-largest transport hub in Italy, confirmed that all flights will be suspended until Friday at least as dust and ash continue to billow from the volcano. The closure of the airport has left thousands of travelers in limbo during the peak summer season, and is adding additional pressure on some of Italy’s other airports. Mount Etna is the most active volcano in Europe, and frequently forces the closure of Catania airport. Marco Viccaro, president of the Italian Volcanological Association, said that current activity from Mount Etna is more intense than usual. “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. The volcanic ash from Mount Etna has been spotted in neighboring Malta and elsewhere across the Mediterranean.
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