Catania airport extends closure until midnight as Mount Etna ash continues to ground flights

From the Newshound archive · first published 27 September 2026.

Sicily's Catania airport has extended its suspension of all flights until midnight on Sunday after a fresh wave of volcanic ash from Mount Etna left passengers stranded for a second consecutive day. The airport, Italy's fifth-busiest by passenger traffic, first shut on Saturday alongside adverse weather. Catania has now suffered three closures linked to Etna ash emissions since August alone.

The longest recent closure, triggered earlier this summer during Ferragosto, lasted five days — the worst disruption since 2022.

Researcher Boris Behncke at the Etna Observatory warned volcanic ash can be sucked into aircraft engines, forcing them to stall.

An American tourist from Kansas, 29, died on Etna in August after being struck by lightning while hiking in a zone closed due to volcanic activity.