Mount Etna: volcano in Italy erupts overnight with Catania Airport closed and dozens of flights impacted

Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, has erupted overnight bringing travel chaos to Sicily.

Ash pouring from the volcano's peak could be seen across the southern Italian island, with incoming and departing flights impacted by the eruption. Mount Etna had its first major eruption only three months ago in May 2023, 31 years after its last major eruption.

Catania Airport has been heavily impacted by the newest event, with the travel hub temporarily closed. Flights were grounded, with arriving flights from airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet and KLM either cancelled, delayed or diverted to other airports.

On average, the airport sees around 200 flights arriving and departing per day in August as tourists flock to the popular destination in southern Italy. With the eruption taking place late on Sunday night (13 August), Catania Airport was closed shortly after 2.45am.

Seven Ryanair flights were due to land at the airport on Monday morning. However, these flights were diverted to the nearby Trapani Airport, located on the western coast of the island and almost 200 miles from Catania.

The airline told passengers: “Due to the eruption of Mount Etna, we would like to advise all passengers travelling to and from Catania on 14 August of possible delays, diversion or cancellations to flights. Affected passengers will be notified as soon as possible. Ryanair apologises for the disruptions caused by this volcanic eruption which is outside of our control.”

The airport was expected to open on Monday afternoon, however this was pushed until Tuesday (15 August), with passengers urged to check with their airlines ahead of their flight to or from Catania before travelling.

Catania mayor Enrico Trantino has also introduced local measures to deal with the eruption, including the residue left by ash. Cars have been limited to a speed of 19mph, while the use of motorbikes and bicycles have been banned with ash, which can be slippery and cause road accidents, covering many roads and pavements.

The situation has evoked memories of the 2010 volcanic eruption in which the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, saw air traffic across northern and western Europe grounded to a halt for almost a week. The ash cloud generated by the 2010 eruption saw 20 countries forced to close their airspace until visibility returned.