Etna eruption keeps Catania airport closed as ash disrupts Sicily’s travel network

Rome – Catania’s Fontanarossa airport will remain closed until at least 3pm on Saturday, August 15, as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt flights and travel across Sicily.

The airport operator SAC announced the extension of the closure on Friday evening, citing ongoing volcanic activity and the presence of ash in the atmosphere. With winds continuing to push volcanic ash towards the airport, however, there is still considerable uncertainty over when operations can safely resume.

The nearby airport of Comiso, which is also operated by SAC, reopened shortly after 6pm on Friday after being closed for several hours because of ash contamination.

The disruption at Catania has now entered its seventh day, affecting tens of thousands of passengers during one of the busiest periods of the Italian summer. Around 40,000 passengers normally pass through the airport each day at this time of year, forcing many travellers to seek alternatives in Palermo, Comiso, Trapani and Lamezia Terme.

SAC has described the situation as an “exceptional emergency”, calling it the most severe disruption to the airport infrastructure in the past 20 years. Between August 6 and 12, around 630 flights scheduled for Catania were diverted to other airports, while approximately 36 per cent of the 1,974 scheduled connections were cancelled. Around 300 passengers were still waiting inside the terminal to be transferred to alternative airports.

The disruption has also placed considerable pressure on other airports across Sicily. Palermo’s Falcone Borsellino airport handled 344 scheduled flights on August 14, in addition to 41 services diverted from Catania. The airport operator recalled staff from holiday leave and urged passengers to arrive two hours before domestic and Schengen flights and three hours before other international departures.

Travellers were also encouraged to use trains and buses to reach Palermo airport in order to reduce congestion on surrounding roads. Trapani Birgi airport has similarly been operating an emergency plan, with around 100 additional flights being handled.

Comiso has provided an important alternative, but its smaller size limits the number of passengers it can accommodate. The airport, located around 100 kilometres from Catania, has itself been affected by volcanic ash and has been temporarily closed and reopened several times in recent days.

The disruption has extended beyond air travel. Ferries from Genoa and Naples have recorded increased demand, while InterCity trains towards Rome and Milan have filled up. Trenitalia has added six services on the Palermo Messina Catania route.

Rail travel has itself been complicated by ongoing infrastructure works. The Palermo Agrigento railway line remains closed until September, with replacement buses operating, while part of the Palermo Catania route between Termini Imerese and Caltanissetta is also closed. Special services connecting the airports are therefore being routed through Messina, considerably increasing journey times.

Road transport has also come under pressure. Mobile roadworks have been suspended on Sicily’s motorways, although 28 restrictions remain on the A19 Palermo Catania motorway, along with two on the A29 Palermo Mazara del Vallo and around 20 worksites on state roads.

From August 17, further disruption is expected on the A19, where works will move to the opposite carriageway in the Tremonzelli tunnel, requiring a closure and traffic diversion.

Authorities have also tightened restrictions on access to Mount Etna as volcanic activity continues. An ordinance introduced on Thursday evening requires visitors to remain at least 200 metres from the advancing lava front, following reports of people approaching the flow in recent days to take photographs and selfies.

For passengers waiting to travel through Catania, the 3pm reopening time on August 15 remains only a target rather than a guarantee. The airport has repeatedly postponed reopening during the past week as wind conditions and ash concentrations have changed.

The resumption of flights will ultimately depend on the evolution of the eruption and atmospheric conditions around the airport.

PS