Overview
- Renewed eruptive activity at Mount Etna began escalating in early August and officials first suspended arrivals into Catania after ash entered eastern Sicily airspace on Monday, August 10, leading to repeated extensions of sector closures.
- Italy’s Etna Observatory has kept the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation at red, the highest alert, because continuing ash and incandescent material pose direct hazards to aircraft engines and systems.
- Catania International Airport has repeatedly suspended arrivals and departures with operator SAC extending closures through early Friday, and Palermo and Comiso have taken dozens to hundreds of diverted flights with Palermo reporting 190 rerouted movements.
- The ash cloud has affected neighbouring Malta and created long waits, cancellations and rerouting for travellers, forcing some passengers to drive off-island to Naples or accept lengthy rebookings and delayed ground transport on arrival at alternate airports.
- The eruption has also drawn large numbers of tourists to view lava flows, producing overcrowded trails and safety warnings from local guides, and the volcano’s frequent activity means further travel disruption is likely while ash and wind conditions are monitored.