Severe Mount Etna Eruption and Volcanic Ash Ground Flights at Sicily's Busiest Airport

Passengers at the terminal at Vincenzo Bellini Catania Airport faced major disruptions following its closure due to an ash cloud from Sicily’s Mount Etna eruption in Catania, Italy, August 14, 2026. Continuing volcanic activity from Mount Etna has forced the complete closure of Sicily’s busiest airport.

Authorities at Vincenzo Bellini Airport announced on Friday that all flights will remain suspended until at least 2pm local time (12:00 GMT) on Saturday. Volcanic ash from the eruption has caused the most severe disruption the facility has experienced in more than two decades.

The intense activity from Mount Etna led to the cancellation of over a third of the 1,974 scheduled flights between Thursday of last week and Wednesday of this week, while another 600 flights had to be diverted during the same timeframe. As Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, Mount Etna has once again sparked debate regarding the logistical wisdom of maintaining a major transportation hub located just 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of the crater.

Hundreds of stranded travelers continue to wait for flights that were either cancelled or delayed during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. Individuals planning to journey through Catania on Saturday are actively contacting airlines to check the status of their departures.

“We were due to leave on Wednesday, but our flight was cancelled; then they rescheduled it for Friday. Now that one’s been cancelled too,” shared Antonella Thirande Warnakulasuriya Costa, a traveler heading to Sri Lanka via Dubai, in an interview with Reuters.

Typically, Vincenzo Bellini Catania Airport manages at least 40,000 passengers daily. According to local media reports, approximately 300 passengers were waiting on Thursday evening to be arranged for transport to an alternative airport. The massive plume of ash has extended its reach beyond Europe, traveling as far as North Africa.

In response to the travel standstill, the Italian train company Trenitalia has introduced six additional trains along the Palermo-Messina-Catania route. While travelers typically qualify for compensation during severe transit disruptions, volcanic eruptions are generally classified as extraordinary circumstances, meaning airlines are legally exempt from paying compensation.