Mount Etna eruption and volcanic ash shut Sicily’s busiest airport

What the report says

Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption and ash cloud have closed Sicily’s busiest airport, Vincenzo Bellini Catania Airport, disrupting travel during a peak holiday period. Al Jazeera reported that airport authorities said flights would remain suspended until at least 2pm local time on Saturday, after volcanic ash created what officials described as the airport’s worst disruption in more than 20 years.

The shutdown has caused widespread cancellations and diversions. According to the report, more than a third of the 1,974 flights scheduled between Thursday and Wednesday were cancelled, and about 600 others were diverted. Hundreds of passengers have been left waiting or rebooking travel, including people whose flights were repeatedly rescheduled before being cancelled again. Catania is about 30km south of Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest and most active volcano.

The disruption has also prompted changes on the ground, with Italy’s state रेल operator Trenitalia adding extra trains on the Palermo-Messina-Catania route. The report noted that ash from the eruption has been carried farther afield, reaching North Africa, though the main impact is on air travel in and out of Catania.

As background, volcanic ash can force airline and airport closures because it can damage aircraft engines and reduce visibility. In many cases, such events are treated as extraordinary circumstances under airline compensation rules, limiting automatic refunds or compensation for passengers.