The story

Catania Airport in Sicily suspended all flights on Monday after Mount Etna sent volcanic ash into the sky. Initially, all incoming flights were suspended until 4 p.m. local time on September 14, but the airport later extended the suspension until 10 p.m. and expanded it to include departures. In a Facebook post, airport officials said the airspace corresponding to sectors C1 and B3 had been closed due to Mount Etna's eruptive activity.

Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology issued a Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation at 6:43 a.m. local time on Monday, placing Etna at the highest alert level of RED and reporting that ash emission was ongoing. The volcanic cloud was estimated to reach about 13,100 feet and was moving south. Catania is Italy's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic.

Mount Etna is Europe's highest and most active volcano. The volcano has frequently disrupted flights at Catania, but ash emissions have been particularly intense this summer, affecting thousands of travelers during the peak holiday season.