Sicily airport stops flights after Mount Etna volcanic eruption

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Friday August 16, 2024
By Kate Duffy

Mount Etna spews ash and molten lava in Catania, Italy on Aug. 15. Photographer: Aalvatore Allegra/Anadolu/Getty Images (Aalvatore Allegra/Anadolu/Photographer: Aalvatore Allegra/)

(Bloomberg) -- Catania Airport in Sicily was forced to temporarily close its runway following a volcanic eruption on the Italian island, delaying and canceling flights to the vacation hotspot at the peak of the summer travel season.

About 75% of departing flights from Catania, located on the east coast of Sicily, were canceled on Thursday, while almost half of all arrivals, excluding diversions, were called off, according to Cirium. Ryanair Holdings Plc saw the most cancellations to and from Catania, followed by ITA Airways and EasyJet Plc, the analytics company said.

“The runway is unusable due to a significant fall of volcanic ash on the airfield, and therefore, both arrivals and departures have been suspended,” the airport said on Thursday in a statement.

Ryanair continues to monitor the situation, the airline said in a statement. EasyJet said it had rerouted some flights to Palermo, the capital of Sicily, and provided onward transport for passengers, while Wizz Air Holdings Plc said they also had to cancel flights to the hub.

Mount Etna has erupted at various times over the past two months, causing trouble for airlines flying to the Mediterranean island as volcanic ash particles can damage aircraft engines, windscreens and fuselages. Catania Airport said it expects flights to resume at 6 pm on Thursday.

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