Mount Etna eruption triggers red alert and flights cancelled in Sicily

Mount Etna eruption triggers red alert and flight disruptions in Sicily, with ash cloud activity forcing widespread cancellations at Catania Airport. Italian outlet La Sicilia reports that all incoming flights were cancelled due to safety concerns as volcanic ash was pouring into the air over the island. FlightRadar24 data showed arriving services at Catania as cancelled. ITA, Italy’s largest airline, said flights departing and arriving at the airport would be cancelled or rescheduled in response to the ash cloud moving across the region. Video posted online indicated ash rising from the volcano at around 7:45am local time, intensifying just before 9am. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) raised the aviation alert from orange to red, reflecting a potential risk to aircraft.