Overview
- The airport suspended all starts and landings on Saturday after the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said ash rose about four kilometres from Etna’s northeast crater.
- The operator extended the closure through the weekend as wind carried ash southward and civil‑aviation authorities kept the highest-level red alert in force.
- Airlines diverted and cancelled flights, routing passengers to Palermo or Comiso and reporting at least ten ITA Airways planes sent to neighbouring airports.
- Travelers were told to check with carriers for rebooking, refunds and EU passenger care rules that require meals, accommodation or compensation when applicable.
- Catania‑Fontanarossa is Sicily’s largest airport handling millions of passengers, and repeated Etna ash events this summer have highlighted the hub’s operational vulnerability and regional ripple effects.