Mt. Etna Closes Catania's Main Airport

Mt. Etna, Europe's most active volcano, is causing problems at the airport in Catania, Sicily. The airport was initially closed on November 24, 2006 and remained closed to overnight traffic for 5 nights. The Fontanarossa airport in Catania is the main airport in eastern Sicily.

The November 24 explosion covered the town of Catania with a fine later of black ash. Mt. Etna has been causing problems for residents of the eastern part of Sicily for centuries. The citizens of Catania took this latest eruption in stride by using umbrellas to protect themselves from falling ash. Catania is located about 3 miles from Mt. Etna. In 1669, Catania was destroyed by a huge eruption of Mt. Etna. When you visit eastern Sicily, you can still see the impact of that eruption in the many towns and cities of the area.

Mt. Etna was spewing ash 5,000 meters high. According to Antonella Scalzo, a geologist with Italy's Civil Defense Department, “This is all part of Etna’s normal activity. The ash is a nuisance, it is not a precursor of a change in activity.”