Etna Eruptions Shut Catania Airport in Sicily at Travel Peak
About 700 flights have been affected since August 7, after Europe’s most active volcano began its latest flare-up.
Sicily: Sicily’s Catania airport will remain closed until early Friday due to eruptions from nearby Mount Etna that have forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled or rerouted over the past week. All arrivals and departures to the island hub will be suspended through at least 2 a.m. local time on Friday, the airport said in a notice posted late Wednesday.
About 700 flights have been affected since August 7, after Europe’s most active volcano began its latest flare-up. The airport has been closed for the major part of that period, interrupting travel to the popular summer destination. More than 1,00,000 passengers are estimated to have been affected.
Flights have been shifted to other island hubs like Palermo, Trapani or Comiso, but Catania is the island’s busiest airport. Some travelers have been forced to sleep at the airport, with others shifting to buses and trains, and rental-car shortages have sent prices skyrocketing. Ryanair Holdings Plc, the dominant carrier at Catania, said on its website that passengers should expect heavy delays, cancellations and diversions on Thursday. Wizz Air Holdings Plc and EasyJet Plc and Ita Airways are among the other carriers active at the hub in southeast Sicily.
