Mount Etna Eruption Shuts Catania Airport, Disrupts 100,000 Travellers
A major eruption of Mount Etna, a volcano in Sicily, Italy, has caused serious travel problems across the region.
Catania airport, one of Sicily's busiest, has been closed because of a large cloud of volcanic ash rising from the mountain. The ash cloud makes it too dangerous for planes to fly safely.
More than 100,000 travellers have had their itineraries disrupted by the closure. Many people are now stuck, unsure how to continue their journeys.
The problems are not limited to Catania. The airport in Comiso, another airport on the island, has also stopped operations because of the eruption.
Flights to and from Malta, a small island country near Sicily, have been cancelled as well, showing how far the effects of the ash cloud reach.
Meanwhile, on the volcano itself, a new vent has opened in an area called Valle del Bove. A vent is a new crack or hole where lava, gas, or ash comes out during an eruption.
Because so many travellers have been affected, guidance has been published to help people understand what steps to take if their flight has been cancelled or delayed.
Airport closures caused by volcanic activity are not unusual, but the scale of this disruption, affecting over 100,000 passengers, makes it a significant event for regional air travel.
Vocabulary10 words
- eruption
- when a volcano suddenly sends out ash, gas, or lava
- Etna
- a large, active volcano in Sicily, Italy
- airport
- a place with runways where planes take off and land
- volcanic
- related to a volcano
- itineraries
- planned routes or schedules for a trip
- vent
- an opening in a volcano where material escapes
- disruption
- a problem that stops something normal from happening
- cloud
- a large mass of ash or smoke in the sky
- operations
- the normal working activities of a place, like an airport
- guidance
- helpful information about what to do
Quiz
Answer key
1. A volcanic ash cloud from Mount Etna 2. Comiso airport 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A major _____ of Mount Etna has caused serious travel problems.
Catania airport has been closed because of a large _____ of volcanic ash.
The ash cloud makes it too dangerous for planes to fly _____.
More than 100,000 travellers have had their _____ disrupted.
The airport in Comiso has also stopped _____.
Flights to and from Malta have been _____ as well.
A new _____ has opened in an area called Valle del Bove.
_____ has been published to help affected travellers.