Sicily’s busiest travel hub, Catania Airport, will remain closed until early Friday morning as Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, continues to erupt, according to a Bloomberg report. The ongoing volcanic activity, which has affected over 1,350 flights over the past week, has severely disrupted summer travel to the popular island destination.
According to the latest post, the airport extended the halt on passenger flights through 8 a.m. Friday. It was earlier said all takeoffs and landings would remain suspended at the island hub through at least 2 a.m.
According to the airport operator, Società Aeroporto Catania, and local reporting by La Repubblica, the closures have caused widespread travel chaos, with about 1,000 flights cancelled and another 350 rerouted to other facilities between Aug. 6 and Aug. 12.
More than 100,000 passengers are estimated to have been affected, La Repubblica reported.
With Catania closed for the majority of the week, flights have been diverted to other Sicilian airports, including Palermo, Trapani, and Comiso. This sudden shift in logistics has created severe challenges for travellers on the ground. Some passengers have been forced to sleep at the , while many have had to rely heavily on buses and trains to reach their destinations.
A severe shortage of available rental cars has also caused local transportation prices to skyrocket, according to a Bloomberg report.
Carriers say ‘have to cancel’ flights
, a dominant carrier at Catania, said passengers should expect heavy delays, cancellations and diversions on Thursday. While Wizz Air, EasyJet and Ita Airways are among the other carriers active at the hub in southeast Sicily.
EasyJet said it cancelled its one return flight from London Gatwick on Thursday, while Wizz said it’s been trying to divert planes.
However, Comiso has also been affected by Etna’s plumes, and Palermo has become crowded, “so there are some flights which we have to cancel, unfortunately.”
Società Aeroporto Catania, which also operates Comiso airport, said it is coordinating with other airports and authorities to manage the Etna ash emergency.
Mount Etna eruption: Impact, response
Mount Etna’s frequent eruptions have often hindered flights at Catania, its volcanic ash coats everything — from airport runways to patios and . Aircraft flying by the volcanic ash risk fouling sensitive engine components.
Tourism accounts for about 4.2% of Sicily’s economy, according to a Unicredit report in March, with an estimated 22.5 million visitors last year. Small-business lobby Confartigianato said separately that tourism, restaurants and hotels were expected to create about 20,000 jobs in the third quarter.
According to preliminary estimates compiled by industry group Assoesercenti, four days of disruption would affect between €13 million ($15 million) and €24 million in tourist spending.
The island needs a permanent, centralised planning body to coordinate between airports, airlines and other businesses to ease the impact of Etna’s eruptions, said Salvo Politino, Assoesercenti’s president.
“We can’t stop the Etna, but we can prepare,” Politino said. “Above all, we can prevent every natural disaster from turning into an economic and image emergency for Sicily.”
(With Bloomberg inputs)
