What Etna’s latest eruption means for your holiday as flights are cancelled

Thousands of passengers faced cancellations and delays at Sicily’s busiest airport on Friday due to the latest eruption of Mount Etna.

Ash and lava flows reached 4.5km high, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), causing Catania airport to close on Friday morning.

The airport announced that arriving and departing flights would be suspended and more than 80 services would be affected by lunchtime on Friday.

Here’s what travelers with upcoming bookings for Sicily need to know.

How are flights affected?

Catania airport announced early Friday morning that arrival and departure flights would be suspended after the runway became unusable due to volcanic ash.

Due to the ash clouds, the INGV issued a code red warning – its highest alert level – for aircraft flying through the region.

Passengers have faced flight delays and cancellations. As of Friday morning, at least 54 departing flights have been canceled due to the eruptions and the subsequent closure of Catania airport, representing 40% of all scheduled departures, and at least 30 arrivals have been canceled, excluding diversions, according to aviation analysis firm Cirium.

Ryanair was the airline with the highest number of flight cancellations to and from the airport, followed by easyJet and ITA Airways. Eight flights from the UK to Catania were scheduled for Friday.

An airport update on X, formerly Twitter, advised passengers to check flight status before heading to the terminal. At the time of writing, the airport had reopened for departures, although arrivals remained limited.

How can I check if my flight is affected?

Travelers who need to get to or from Catania Airport can track the status of their flight on the airport’s official website, aeroporto.catania.it. Travelers can also check directly with their airline through its online flight check service, mobile app, or customer service. Flight tracking websites, such as Flightradar24, Plane Finder, and FlightAware, are other useful tools.

Travellers should also keep themselves informed of any advice from their airline, tour operator or accommodation provider.

An update from easyJet sent to affected passengers said: “We are sorry that your flight has been cancelled. This is due to volcanic activity at CTA (Catania) which is causing restrictions on the areas in which aircraft are allowed to fly.”

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?

Under airline consumer protection laws, travelers whose flights are canceled are entitled to a refund or rebooking on another flight to their destination.

However, compensation is unlikely when the cancellation is due to a circumstance beyond the airline’s control.

You should first contact your airline to find out the details of your options.

Many passengers who experienced cancellations due to the disruption were redirected to diverted flights, mainly to Palermo, the capital of Sicily.

Is it safe to travel to Sicily?

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) information page for Italy has been updated to include the following warning: “Due to volcanic activity, local authorities have raised alert levels for Mount Etna and Stromboli in southern Italy. In the event of a volcanic eruption, follow the advice of local authorities. See more information on volcanoes.

“Arrivals and departures to Catania airport are suspended with flights cancelled or redirected to Palermo or Comiso.

“If you are traveling to or from Catania, check with your travel agency or Catania airport.”

The Italian Civil Protection Department said: “Italy, together with Iceland, has the largest concentration of active volcanoes in Europe and is one of the first in the world for the number of inhabitants exposed to volcanic risk.

“Active or potentially active volcanoes are located in southern Italy, with varying degrees of danger.”

She reminded travellers and residents to “follow the instructions of the civil protection authorities transmitted by radio, television, in the daily press, on the internet and by the various toll-free numbers that will be set up”.

The department added: “In the event of an eruption, it is also important to respect the no-entry signs in the areas affected by the eruption. It is dangerous to approach the crater area even if there is no eruptive activity, as sudden explosive phenomena or gas emissions are always possible.”

Travellers who are in Sicily, or who are due to travel to the island in the coming days, should continue to monitor the situation, including by consulting the advice of the Italian Civil Protection Department.