Catania Airport in Sicily remains closed until 23.59 on 28 September 2026 after a volcanic ash eruption from Mount Etna. A four-kilometre ash cloud prompted the grounding of all flights for a third consecutive day. The red flight warning, the highest alert level, remains in force. Passengers have been advised to check flight status before travelling to the airport. Catania-Fontanarossa Airport extended its full flight suspension through late Monday night, 28 September 2026, due to an intense volcanic ash cloud emitted by nearby Mount Etna. The airport operator, SAC, initially implemented localised grounding over the weekend but was forced to shut down all incoming and departing operations as winds pushed a dense plume of volcanic ash directly southward into regional airspace. Airspace sectors C1 and B3 remain completely closed, and Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology maintained its highest red aviation alert level.
All operations at the hub, Sicily’s largest and Italy’s fifth-busiest airport, were halted until at least midnight local time going into Tuesday morning. Dozens of flights, including numerous schedules operated by Ryanair and ITA Airways, faced total cancellation or major rerouting. Trapped or incoming travellers are being heavily impacted by regional shifts. Multiple services transferred to other hubs across the Mediterranean island, including Palermo Airport, Comiso Airport and Trapani. As a knock-on effect of absorbing Catania’s diverted traffic, neighbouring hubs like Palermo reported heavy passenger crowds, packed gates and lengthy processing queues. Local authorities deployed additional regional trains connecting Palermo to eastern Sicily to assist displaced travellers trying to reach their original destinations.
Volcanic ash poses a serious risk to aircraft engines, leading to widespread disruption even when the airport itself is not directly threatened by lava. The closure affected holidaymakers travelling to and from the Italian destination. Travellers with upcoming travel plans involving Sicily should check journey status directly through their airline or via the official Catania Airport Live Flight Tracker. Because volcanic activity and wind vectors can shift rapidly, the lifted restrictions or revised timetables issued by operators do not guarantee that individual flights resume immediately on regular schedules.
