Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until Saturday afternoon due to persistent ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing volcanic activity, according to airport operator Reuters. All arrivals and departures at the island hub, which ranks as Italy’s fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic, are suspended through 2 p.m. local time on August 15 according to AP News. Travelers have been advised to check flight statuses with their airlines before traveling to the airport.
Catania Airport Shutdown Extended Through Saturday
The prolonged restrictions coincide with the peak of the summer holiday season, affecting thousands of passengers and creating additional strain on other airports across Sicily. Boris Behncke, a researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology’s Etna Observatory, explained the hazard to AP News, stating that volcanic ash poses a major risk because it can be sucked into motors and cause them to stall. Northerly winds have carried light amounts of ash as far as Malta and northern Africa.
Two Decades of Record Disruption and Stranded Travelers
SAC sources cited by the Italian news agency ANSA noted that the current disruption is the most severe to hit Catania airport in at least two decades. Between August 6 and August 12, more than a third of the 1,974 scheduled flights at Catania were canceled, with approximately 630 flights diverted to alternative airports including Palermo, Trapani, Comiso, and Lamezia Terme in Calabria.
Thousands of travelers have faced severe delays and cancellations, with some spending days sleeping inside the terminal. Antonella Thirande Warnakulasuriya Costa, a passenger from Messina traveling to Sri Lanka via Dubai, told Reuters that her rescheduled flight was canceled a second time. Matheus Paulo Neto, a traveler from Brazil, described a frustrating end to his holiday after multiple schedule changes and a lack of clear assistance.
To help manage the transit pressures, the Italian train company Trenitalia added six trains along the Palermo-Messina-Catania route. Meanwhile, the Codacons consumer association announced plans to file a complaint with Italy’s competition authority over price gouging reports, as taxi fares and car rental prices surged following the rerouting of flights.
Infrastructure Debate and Economic Toll
The extended closure has revived a long-running debate over whether Sicily’s primary eastern airport is located too close to Europe’s highest and most active volcano. Civil Protection Minister and former Sicily governor Nello Musumeci stated in a release covered by Reuters that the situation points to the conclusion that the airport is in the wrong place, adding that the issue requires serious, long-term infrastructure planning reflection.
Economic losses resulting from the flight cancellations and disruptions are estimated between 12 million and 24 million euros, according to trade association Assoesercenti figures reported by Bluewin. At the same time, Stefano Branca of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology noted a slight decline in overall eruptive activity, though experts emphasize that predicting an end date remains impossible.
