Arrivals at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) have been suspended until at least 17:00 local time on Monday 10 August after a fresh paroxysmal eruption at Mount Etna sent a dense ash cloud drifting south-southwest directly over the airport’s approach paths. Italy’s civil aviation authority (ENAC) has kept the aviation alert at red throughout this event.
What Is Happening
Mount Etna entered a new eruptive phase on approximately 7–8 August, with explosive activity centred on the Voragine summit crater. Eruptions have produced significant ash emissions on a near-continuous basis since Friday, forcing repeated closure of the inbound airspace over Sicily.
Arrivals were suspended for much of Friday 8 August and again on Saturday 9 August. The situation briefly stabilised on Saturday evening, but renewed ash emissions prompted authorities to halt arrivals a third time, with the suspension confirmed through to at least 17:00 on Monday 10 August. Departures for aircraft already on the ground at Catania continue to operate normally.
Inbound flights are being diverted primarily to Palermo airport, approximately 200 km to the west. Passengers redirected there face a 2–2.5 hour onward journey to Catania by bus or hire car.
Airlines Affected
This event follows a similar closure in early July caused by a separate Etna eruption. Airlines likely to be impacted include Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, Wizz Air, ITA Airways, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM. Most carriers will offer free rebooking or refunds for passengers whose inbound flights cannot land.
Because volcanic ash is classified as an extraordinary circumstance under EU Regulation 261/2004, airlines are not liable to pay the standard €250–€600 compensation for cancellations — only care costs (meals, accommodation, rebooking). Our Italy flight delay rights guide explains exactly what you can claim.
What to Do Now
- Check directly with your airline before travelling to Catania airport — the closure is live and its end time may change.
- If your flight has been diverted to Palermo, book onward ground transport before departure to avoid delays at the other end.
- Travellers routing to Sicily via Rome, Milan, or Naples on domestic connections are unaffected.
- Travel insurance covering trip disruption may cover expenses not reimbursed by EU261.
We will update this article as ENAC changes the aviation alert level. For general flights to Italy via mainland airports, there is no disruption.