Operations at Reuters in Sicily will remain suspended until Saturday afternoon because of volcanic ash spewing from Mount Etna. Airport operator SAC announced that all arrivals and departures at the island hub, which is Italy’s fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic, will be suspended through 2 p.m. local time on August 15.
Catania Airport Closure Extended Due to Mount Etna Ash
The prolonged restrictions occur at the height of the summer holiday season during the Ferragosto holiday period, stranding thousands of travelers. Passengers have been advised to check their flight status with their airlines before traveling to Catania’s airport. The ongoing disruption has placed additional pressure on other airports across Sicily, where flights have been rerouted.
Severity of the Volcanic Disruption and Aviation Hazards
The current emergency is the longest and most severe to affect the airport in at least two decades, according to SAC sources cited by ANSA, as well as statements from the operator. Between August 6 and 12, approximately 36 percent of the 1,974 scheduled flights at Catania were cancelled, while around 630 flights were diverted to alternative airports such as Palermo, Trapani, and Comiso in Sicily, and Lamezia Terme in Calabria.
Experts emphasize the severe risk that volcanic emissions pose to aviation. Boris Behncke, a researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology’s Etna Observatory, explained that volcanic ash can be a great risk for aircraft,
noting that it can be sucked into motors and cause them to stall. Stefano Branca of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology noted a slight decline in eruptive activity, though wind direction remains crucial in carrying ash toward the city of Catania, located south of the volcano. Northerly winds have also spread light amounts of ash to Malta and northern Africa.
Broader Impacts, Travel Strain, and Infrastructure Debate
The repeated schedule changes and cancellations have caused widespread frustration for stranded travelers. Antonella Thirande Warnakulasuriya Costa described being rescheduled multiple times, while Matheus Paulo Neto reported receiving inadequate assistance regarding altered travel plans to Olbia.
To ease the travel pressure, the Italian train company AP News added six trains along the Palermo-Messina-Catania route. Meanwhile, the rerouting of planes to other Sicilian airports pushed up taxi fares and car rental prices, prompting the Codacons consumer association to file a complaint with Italy’s competition authority over alleged price gouging. Trade association Assoesercenti estimated economic losses from the disruptions at approximately 12 to 24 million euros, and Italy’s federation of travel agencies and tour operators called for a task force to coordinate responses and review airline handling of passenger assistance.
The prolonged crisis has also revived a long-running debate over whether the airport is situated in too vulnerable a location. Civil Protection Minister and former Sicily governor Nello Musumeci stated that the events point to the conclusion that it is not the volcano that is in the wrong place, but the airport, adding that the issue deserves serious, long-term reflection in major infrastructure planning.
