Mount Etna eruption forces airspace restrictions

MOUNT ETNA, ITALY (NBC, KYMA) - Flights at Italy's Catania airport were suspended Wednesday as fresh ash emissions from Mount Etna in Sicily forced authorities to extend airspace restrictions.

Disrupting travel during the peak summer holiday season.

Airport operator SAC said arrivals and departures would remain suspended until later in the day after aviation authorities closed the affected sector of airspace around eastern Sicily.

"Passengers are advised to check the status of their flights with their airlines. Further updates will follow in the coming hours," SAC said in a statement.

The impact of the latest eruption was felt beyond Sicily, with flight cancellations and significant delays reported overnight in neighboring Malta as volcanic ash drifted south across the Mediterranean.

Conditions appeared to improve later on Wednesday, although Malta international airport continued to warn passengers of possible disruptions.

Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano, frequently disrupts operations at Catania airport which is Sicily's main gateway and Italy's fifth busiest airport by passenger traffic.