Catania Airport resumed arrivals and departures on Saturday after aviation authorities downgraded Mount Etna’s alert from red to orange, allowing operations to restart from 14:00 local time. SAC, the airport operator, lifted the suspension after days of disruption at Sicily’s main air hub, where volcanic ash had forced repeated closures during the peak summer travel period.
The reopening followed a reduction in volcanic activity and the reopening of the affected airspace sectors. Passenger services began returning gradually, with airlines still advising travellers to confirm flight status before leaving for the airport. Some cancellations remained into Sunday, but most operations were back to normal by then.
Catania, one of Italy’s busiest airports, had faced several extensions to the shutdown as ash from Etna repeatedly drifted into the flight path. The disruption led to hundreds of cancellations and diversions, hitting holiday traffic across Sicily and affecting routes to other European destinations. Air traffic control and airport teams continued to monitor conditions as low-level ash emission persisted near the summit area.