Mount Etna erupted and spewed ash affecting Catania Airport, Sicily’s largest airport, forcing flight suspensions at least through Saturday afternoon and impacting hundreds of passengers.
On 15 August 2026, international news agencies reported that Mount Etna in southern Italy continued erupting, spreading volcanic ash that disrupted air travel. As a result, Vincenzo Bellini Airport in Catania, the busiest airport on Sicily island, had to suspend flights.
Airport officials announced on Friday that flights would remain suspended at least until 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, or 7 p.m. Thai time, due to the volcanic ash causing the most severe disruption at this airport in over 20 years.
From Thursday, 6 August to Wednesday, 12 August, more than one-third of the 1,974 scheduled flights through Catania Airport were canceled due to the volcanic eruptions, while about 600 flights were rerouted to other airports.
This situation occurred during the year’s busiest travel week, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded by canceled or delayed flights. Passengers scheduled to travel through Catania on Saturday were contacting airlines to check if their flights would operate.
Mount Etna is Europe’s tallest volcano and one of the world’s most frequently erupting volcanoes. Located about 30 kilometers from Catania city, it has raised renewed questions about the wisdom of placing a major airport so close to an active volcano.
Source: Aljazeera