Ash from Mount Etna eruption leads to hundreds of flight cancellations in Sicily

Drifting ash caused by an eruption from Mount Etna has led to hundreds of flights being cancelled in the past week.

Europe's highest and most active volcano started its latest activity in Sicily on 6 August, with experts noting an unusual amount of ash is being spewed out.

It means flights have been suspended at Catania Fontanarossa Airport on the Italian island, and that is set to remain the case until 2am on Saturday (1am in the UK), airport operator SAC said.

About 400 departures were cancelled between 8 and 11 August, with a further 52 axed on Wednesday, according to flight news outlet Aerospace, citing figures published by SAC.

It added that, counting cancelled arrivals to Catania, around 700 flights have been lost to the volcanic activity.

Etna frequently disrupts operations at Catania airport. An eruption was recorded at the volcano in July from a rupture at about 3,000m of altitude.

Marco Viccaro, president of the Italian Volcanological Association, ​said earlier in the week, however, that the activity at Etna is more energetic than previous episodes and is continuing in a sustained way.

"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," he said.

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The impact of the latest eruption was felt beyond Catania, with flight cancellations and significant delays reported in Malta as well as in Sicilian airport Comiso.

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