Catania-Fontanarossa Airport suspended arrivals and departures until 22:00 local time on 15 September after fresh ash from Mount Etna again affected Sicily’s main air hub. Airport operator SAC extended restrictions after Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology raised the aviation alert to red, with an ash plume reaching about 4,000 metres and forcing diversions to Palermo and other southern Italian airports.
The disruption began on 14 September with an initial arrivals-only halt before expanding to a full shutdown as ash continued to drift into local airspace. Passengers were told to check directly with airlines before travelling, while carriers adjusted schedules and rerouted aircraft across the region.
Reports described near-continuous ash emission from Etna’s Northeast Crater and weak Strombolian activity. Catania, Italy’s fifth-busiest airport and a key Sicilian gateway, has faced repeated ash-related interruptions in recent weeks, including earlier closures in August. Operations were later restored once the alert level was downgraded.