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Catania Airport Reopens After Etna Alert Drops to Orange

8/15/2026

50 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Catania Airport Reopens

Catania airport reopened at 2:00 p.m. on August 15 after the volcanic alert fell from red to orange.
The airport was closed from August 8 to August 15, the longest shutdown since 2002, stranding hundreds.
SAC said 36% of 2,000 flights for Aug. 6-12 were cancelled and over 600 diverted to Palermo, Trapani, Comiso and Lamezia Terme.
Palermo Mayor Roberto Lagalla reported 190 diverted flights and a Codacons complaint over taxi fares that topped €600.

Summary

Musumeci urges relocation

Minister Nello Musumeci said the recent airport closures prove the Catania airport is misplaced and urged long-term planning.
He recalled a 1999 plan to move the airport to a plain between Catania and Enna.
Mayor Enrico Trantino called for more resilient airport infrastructure without naming a new location.
Ash from Etna reached Malta and northern Libya, prompting flight cancellations at Malta International Airport.

History

Historical Context

In March 2002 an Etna eruption forced Catania-Fontanarossa Airport to close for ten days, canceling 312 departures and rerouting 250 flights. Repeated ash clouds, including the August 2024 plume, have again halted operations, prompting Sicily’s minister Nello Musumeci and mayor Enrico Trantino to call for a new permanent airport. The pattern mirrors frequent Etna disruptions recorded since the early 2000s.

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Catania Airport Reopens

Catania airport reopened at 2:00 p.m. on August 15 after the volcanic alert fell from red to orange.
The airport was closed from August 8 to August 15, the longest shutdown since 2002, stranding hundreds.
SAC said 36% of 2,000 flights for Aug. 6-12 were cancelled and over 600 diverted to Palermo, Trapani, Comiso and Lamezia Terme.
Palermo Mayor Roberto Lagalla reported 190 diverted flights and a Codacons complaint over taxi fares that topped €600.

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