Etna and Stromboli eruptions: is it safe to travel to Sicily and are flights cancelled?

Travellers using Catania airport – one of the main international gateways to Sicily – faced severe delays today due to the latest eruption of Mount Etna.

The active volcano, the highest in Europe, has seen significantly increased activity over the past week.

Stromboli, on the nearby Aeolian island, is also erupting and spewing lava into the sea.

The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Catania reported that the ash emanating from Etna reached a dizzying height of 4.35 kilometers in the air.

As a result, much of the airspace near the volcano has been closed to airliners. Normal service has now resumed at the airport.

With summer in full swing in Sicily, what should travelers expect when Mount Etna erupts?

What kind of disruption did the Etna eruption cause to air traffic?

At least 90 return flights have been cancelled Catania the airport, disrupting around 15,000 passengers.

Ryanair alone was forced to cancel 42 flights, the highest number of any airline.

Easyjet was also affected: “We are sorry that your flight has been cancelled,” it told passengers. “This is because volcanic activity at CTA (Catania) is causing restrictions on the areas in which aircraft are allowed to fly.”

A large portion of the travelers ended up on diverted flights, many of them arriving at Palermothe airport that serves the capital of Sicily and a 4-hour drive from Catania.

Is Etna likely to continue erupting?

The Italian Civil Protection warned that this was not an isolated event.

“Italy, together with Iceland, has the highest concentration of active minerals. volcanoes in europe “and is one of the first in the world for the number of inhabitants exposed to volcanic risk,” they said in a statement. “Active or potentially active volcanoes are located in southern Italy with varying degrees of danger.”

The ministry also advised residents and tourists 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.”

They also asked people, during eruptions, not to enter the prohibited areas because “it is dangerous to approach the crater area even if there is no eruptive activity because sudden explosive phenomena or gas emissions are always possible.”

Catania Mayor Enrico Trantino also issued an order banning residents from riding two-wheelers for 48 hours. He also set a speed limit of 30 km/h due to the potential danger of riding on ash.

Since Etna is a frequently erupting volcano, tourist activities are rarely disrupted. The volcano has over 200 craters, so even when one erupts, there are plenty of other areas where visitors can safely hike.

Read our complete guide to hiking on Etna.

Stromboli Volcano: Italy issues red alert for Aeolian Islands volcano

Etna is not the only volcano causing problems in Sicily.

On Thursday evening, Italy’s civil protection department issued a red alert due to the eruption of the nearby Stromboli volcano, raising the potential threat level from moderate to severe.

Stromboli is one of Aeolian Islandslocated in the north-east of Sicily and popular tourist destinations especially in summer.

The decision was made after the department and local leaders assessed “rapid developments” regarding Stromboli volcano.

There were reports of lava flowing into the sea, generating a two-kilometre-high plume of smoke.

In a press release, the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) reported “effusive activity” coming from a vent located at an altitude of 700 meters.

The INGV added that “the seismic signal remained at a very high level” and authorities warned that the situation could deteriorate.

Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said Stromboli was “under surveillance” and confirmed that evacuation plans were in place in case of an emergency and that firefighters had preemptively doubled the number of firefighters on the island.

Videos and images from Stromboli showed a giant ash cloud rising from the sea.

On the neighbouring island of Lipari, the mayor has put in place precautionary measures to protect the inhabitants of the small community.

Stromboli is a tiny island – only 12 square kilometers in area and 924 meters in height.

It consists of the summit of a largely underwater volcano, but which is one of the most active on the planet.

Despite the fact that it has been erupting almost continuously for 90 years, it is a tourist hotspot.

The INGV claims that it is one of the few volcanoes in the world with almost continuous activity.

Stromboli last erupted in 2022, without causing any casualties. However, an eruption in 2019 killed a 35-year-old hiker from Messina and forced around 30 tourists to jump into the sea to reach safety.