Thousands of travelers expected to fly to or from Sicily’s main airport in Catania have had their flights diverted or cancelled due to the eruption of Etna. The volcano’s recent eruption generated a shower of ash and a dense layer of smoke, which led to the suspension of flights at Catania airport. The airport is roughly 50km south of Etna. Both incoming and outgoing flights were affected, with diversions to other Sicilian airports and cancellations of numerous flights.
Prior to the eruption, local authorities had issued a yellow alert, and Civil Protection warned of the possibility of lava flows. Municipalities were advised to activate operational centers and prepare for different eruptive scenarios. Signs of magma were recorded in the internal conduits of the volcano, and seismic events of moderate energy occurred in the area.
Although a direct relationship with the eruptive activity could not be confirmed, the seismic phenomena generated concern. The company in charge of Catania airport issued a statement informing the temporary suspension of flight operations due to the volcanic activity. The accumulation of ash led to the closure of runway 26/08, and Eurocontrol warned of the possibility of prolonged delays and flight cancellations at the airport.
Unfortunately it is not clear when normal operations will resume.
easyJet
Scheduled flights to Catania were diverted to other nearby airports, such as Palermo, Trapani and Comiso. In addition, several domestic and international flights were cancelled, including at least 10 ITA flights between Rome and Catania. The airport management company is closely monitoring the situation and working to restore normal operations as the volcanic ash is removed from the runways.
“Due to the eruption of Mount Etna and the subsequent ash cloud close to its runway, Catania airport is currently closed,” a spokesperson for easyJet said. “Like all airlines operating into Catania, easyJet is currently unable to operate many of its scheduled flights to and from the airport today. We have rerouted some of our flights to operate into Comiso airport today.”
According to The Independent, seven Ryanair flights were diverted to Trapani airport. “Due to the eruption of Mount Etna, we would like to advise all passengers traveling to and from Catania on 14 August of possible delays, diversion or cancellations to flights,” Ryanair stated. “The situation is unfortunately outside of our control, and we thank you for your patience.”
According to experts, the eruption of Etna and the suspension of flights in Catania have a significant impact on the region, both at the socio-economic and tourist level.
