Etna eruption paralyzes air travel, Catania airport remains closed

Catania Airport, a vital hub for Sicily, remains shut down due to volcanic ash from Mount Etna's persistent eruptions. The closure, extended until at least Saturday afternoon, has led to hundreds of flight cancellations and diversions over the past week, disrupting thousands of travelers during the peak summer season.

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We were supposed to leave on Wednesday, but our flight was canceled. Then it was rescheduled for Friday. Now, this flight has also been canceled.

The airport, which ranks as Italy's fifth busiest, is experiencing its most significant disruption in two decades. Between August 6 and 12, over 30% of scheduled flights were canceled, with approximately 630 flights rerouted to other airports. This has left thousands of passengers stranded, with some sleeping at the terminal for days.

"We were supposed to leave on Wednesday, but our flight was canceled. Then it was rescheduled for Friday. Now, this flight has also been canceled," said Antonella Tirante Varnakulassuriya Costa, from Messina, Sicily, who is traveling to Sri Lanka via Dubai. Another traveler, Mateus Paulo Neto from Brazil, described the repeated schedule changes as an "infuriating ordeal," lamenting the lack of clear information and assistance.

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The flight has changed twice and we are trying to reach (the Sardinian city of) Olbia, but no one has helped us. We have no information, only emails that do not explain everything about the changes.

The forced closure has intensified discussions about the airport's location. Nello Musumeci, Italy's Minister for Civil Protection and former governor of Sicily, stated, "It is difficult to deny that the events of the past few days lead to one conclusion: it is not the volcano that is in the wrong place, but the airport."

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It is difficult to deny that the events of the past few days lead to one conclusion: it is not the volcano that is in the wrong place, but the airport.