Italy's Catania airport closed by Etna volcanic ash

ROME (Reuters) - Flights serving the eastern Sicilian city of Catania were halted on Tuesday after an eruption from nearby Mount Etna, the airport operator said, bringing fresh travel woe during the peak summer tourist season.

Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has seen intense activity in recent days, spewing hot ash and lava.

The airport of Catania had already been closed earlier this month due to ash in the sky. It acts as a hub for the east of Sicily and attracts more arrivals than the capital Palermo.

The statement said that authorities had decided on "the suspension of all incoming and outgoing flights."

"The suspension will result in cancellations and/or rerouting to other airports," it added, saying normal operations would resume once the ash fallout had ended.

(Reporting by Marta Di Donfrancesco; Editing by Keith Weir)