Is Catania Airport open today? Latest on airports in Sicily, Italy after Mount Etna erupts - are flights being cancelled?

The volcano is located in Sicily, Italy and has sent tourists running for their lives. It had been seeing some activity in the last few hours with volcanic tremors felt overnight. However, this has now escalated to continuous "explosions of growing intensity."

It saw pyroclastic flow, a deadly combination of burning ash and sulphur descend down the mountain. Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the eruption began around 3.50am local time, following volcanic tremors which began around midnight local time. The institute said eruption activity has continued since then with "increasing intensity" and were currently "almost continuous."

According to reports the hot material did not go beyond the Valle del Leone, and so Catania Airport is operating as usual. There are a few delays to departing flights but the airport is still open. The same is for other popular airports in Sicily including Palermo-Falcone Borsellino, Trapani-Birgi, and Ragusa-Comiso.

However, aviation warnings are issued for volcanic eruptions due to the risk of volcanic ash. This is because volcanic ash is hard and abrasive meaning that it can cause a lot of wear and damage to propellor blades and the fan blades in jet engines. Volcanic eruptions have previously resulted in flights being grounded for days on end due to the risk posed by volcanic ash.

Etna's eruption has triggered a warning on the Aviation Colur Code. This is a public warning to pilots when there is a risk due to volcanic activity.

When the warning was first put out it was at a red level, but has since been downgraded to an orange alert. An orange alert means that a volcano is "exhibiting heightened unrest with increased likelihood of eruption. or, Volcanic eruption is underway with no or minor ash emission." If you have a flight booked it is advised to check with your airline regarding the status of your flight.