Mount Etna's volcanic ash cloud forces flights shutdown

Rome: An ash cloud from Mount Etna's latest spectacular eruption has forced the closure of Catania's airport in eastern Sicily.

The airport said it would remain closed at least until Monday evening. Several flight departures and arrivals were cancelled, and at least two flights were diverted to Palermo's airport in the western part of the Mediterranean island.

Etna is Europe's most active volcano. Its latest series of eruptions has lasted for weeks now, occasionally causing a change in flight routes. The eruption hasn't forced evacuation of the villages on the mountain's slopes. Its last major eruption occurred in 1992.