The ongoing eruption of Mount Etna has evolved from a local problem in Sicily into a major transportation crisis for the central Mediterranean. As of the evening of August 14, 2026, Catania Airport remains closed until at least 2:00 a.m. on August 15; hundreds of flights have been canceled or rerouted; the problehave already directly affected Serbia and Malta; and the main burden has shifted to other airports in Sicily and southern Italy.
The current crisis is the most severe for Catania Airport in at least two decades and the longest-lasting since the 2002 eruption. From August 6 to 12, more than a third of the 1,974 flights scheduled for Catania were canceled, and approximately 630 planes were diverted to other airports. Italian sources estimate the total number of disrupted flights at approximately 700. Thousands of passengers were stranded in Sicily at the height of the summer season.
The restrictions are due not to the lava itself—which remains largely confined to the volcano’s vicinity—but to the ongoing ash emissions. The Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) is monitoring Etna’s ongoing effusive and explosive activity, including ash emissions from the Voragine crater. In recent days, volcanic ash has spread primarily southward. This poses a particular danger to aviation, as fine particles can enter engines and damage aircraft systems.
Etna’s activity has affected more than just flights to Catania. On August 11, a cloud of volcanic ash moved approximately 220 km south and reached Malta. As a result, Malta Airport canceled 19 flights by midday, and a number of other departures and arrivals were significantly delayed.
Most of the planes unable to land in Catania are being rerouted to Palermo, Trapani, Comiso, and Lamezia Terme. However, the backup system has also proven vulnerable. Comiso Airport in southeastern Sicily temporarily suspended operations due to volcanic ash, so part of the traffic had to be rerouted even further.
As a result, the aviation crisis quickly turned into a ground transportation crisis. Passengers are forced to travel from one end of Sicily to the other by bus, train, and rental car.
Demand for taxis and rental cars has skyrocketed. Following complaints from passengers about price hikes, the consumer organization Codacons announced its intention to file a complaint with the Italian antitrust authority.
The eruption occurred at the worst possible time for the tourism industry—just before Ferragosto on August 15, the traditional peak of the summer vacation season in Italy. Catania is the main aviation hub in eastern Sicily and serves more than 12 million passengers a year.
The losses are felt throughout the entire tourism chain. A canceled flight means more than just a ticket refund. A tourist may be unable to check into a hotel or may have to cancel a car rental, restaurant reservation, tour, or transfer. On the other hand, tourists who are already on the island and cannot fly out are forced to pay extra for lodging and transportation.
Paradoxically, the eruption itself has simultaneously become a tourist attraction. In the evenings, crowds of people head to Etna’s viewing areas to see the lava, further congesting local roads. However, this local interest is incomparable to the damage caused by the disruption of operations at the main air gateway to the eastern part of the island.
If the wind direction changes again, the geography of the flight restrictions may also change.
Etna’s current phase of activity began on August 6 and is characterized by unusually prolonged ash emissions.
