The continuing eruption of Mount Etna has caused major disruption to air travel in Sicily, with Catania Fontanarossa Airport remaining closed until at least 08:00 on 14 August as volcanic ash continues to affect the region.
Between 7 and 12 August, around 700 flights were cancelled, leaving tens of thousands of passengers facing disrupted journeys during one of the busiest periods of the summer season. More than 400 flights have been redirected or rescheduled through other airports, including around 330 at Palermo, more than 100 at Comiso and 22 at Trapani, with some services transferred to Lamezia Terme on the Italian mainland.
The situation was further complicated when Comiso Airport itself temporarily closed for around 12 hours because of volcanic ash contamination before reopening.
Etna remains highly active, producing intense Strombolian explosions and a volcanic plume several kilometres high. Ash has reportedly travelled as far as Malta and North Africa, while lava continues to flow from several fractures towards the Valle del Bove.
Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) warned that it is impossible to predict when the eruption will end. Monitoring systems can provide warning of the beginning of eruptive phases but cannot reliably determine their duration.
The disruption is also having a substantial economic impact. Industry estimates put losses to Sicily’s tourism sector at between €12 million and €24 million, as passengers struggle to reach or leave the island and airlines reorganise their schedules through alternative airports.
Catania Airport operator SAC said it is working with airlines, Sicily’s other airports, civil protection authorities and regional institutions to maintain as much connectivity as possible and assist affected passengers.
The prolonged disruption has also sparked political controversy. Italian Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci argued that the recurring problem raises questions about the airport’s location close to one of Europe’s most active volcanoes, remarking that “it is not Etna but the airport that is out of place.”
Opposition politicians have meanwhile criticised the handling of the emergency, while Sicily’s regional government says it is supporting additional transport connections and coordinating civil protection measures.
With Etna’s activity continuing and no reliable indication of when the eruption will subside, further disruption at Catania and other Sicilian airports remains possible.