Persistent Mount Etna ash shuts Sicily's Catania airport during peak holiday week

Ash spewing from Sicily's Mount Etna has forced the closure of the Italian island’s largest airport for the fifth consecutive day, stranding hundreds of summer holiday travelers during the peak travel week of the year. Catania's airport is set to remain closed until early Saturday, August 15, coinciding with the Ferragosto holiday, the height of the Italian summer vacation season.

While Etna's activity frequently interrupts flights at the airport, located about 30 kilometers south of the volcano, this current emergency marks the longest disruption since 2002. "Volcanic ash can be a great risk for aircraft," explained Boris Behncke, a researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology’s Etna Observatory. "It can be sucked into the motors, and force them to stall. This is why everyone is so very cautious with aircraft when there is a volcanic ash emission."

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Volcanic ash can be a great risk for aircraft. It can be sucked into the motors, and force them to stall. This is why everyone is so very cautious with aircraft when there is a volcanic ash emission.

The persistent ash emissions from Etna's summit are unusual, according to Behncke. Northerly winds have carried light ash to Malta and northern Africa. The prolonged closure has led to flights being rerouted to other airports on the island, significantly increasing taxi fares and car rental prices, according to the Corriere della Sera daily.

The Codacons consumer association plans to file a complaint with Italy’s competition authority regarding alleged price gouging. The airport operator, SAC, reported that 36 percent of nearly 2,000 flights scheduled for Catania between August 6 and August 12 were canceled, with over 600 diverted to other airports. Italian train company Trenitalia has added extra services along the Palermo-Messina-Catania route to help alleviate travel pressure.

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There have been many shorter interruptions - and stronger eruptions - over the past few decades, but this event is different because the ash emission from Etna’s summit has been much more persistent.