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

Flights will be suspended until at least 2pm local time (1200 GMT), as hundreds of travellers remain stranded.Published On 14 Aug 202614 Aug 2026Continuing volcanic activity from Mount Etna has forced the closure of Sicily’s busiest airport.Authorities at Vincenzo Bellini Airport said on Friday that flights will remain suspended until at least 2pm local time (12:00 GMT) on Saturday, with ash from the volcano causing the greatest disruption the airport has seen in more than two decades.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Orange lava flows stream from Mount Etnalist 2 of 3Mount Etna ash suspends arrivals at Italy’s Catania airportlist 3 of 3Mount Etna eruption disrupts travel at Italy’s Catania airportend of listMount Etna’s eruption led to the cancellation of more than a third of the 1,974 flights between Thursday of last week and Wednesday of this week. Another 600 flights were diverted during the same period.The volcano is Europe’s tallest and most active and has renewed questions about whether having a key airport nearby makes sense. Catania is located 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of the volcano.Hundreds of passengers are waiting for flights that have been cancelled o...