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[INTERNATIONAL] · Italy, Malta · 238 sources (showing 100)

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Mount Etna eruption disrupts Sicilian air travel and tourism

Mount Etna's ongoing eruption in Sicily has caused severe disruptions to air travel and the regional tourism sector. The Catania Fontanarossa Airport has faced repeated closures due to volcanic ash clouds, with the most recent suspension of all arrivals and departures scheduled to last until at least 02:00 on August 15.

Between August 6 and August 12, approximately 36 percent of scheduled flights at Catania were cancelled, with hundreds of other flights diverted to alternative airports in Palermo, Comiso, and Trapani. The airport management, SAC, described the situation as the most severe impact on airport infrastructure in the last 20 years. The ash cloud has also affected airspace near Malta.

Economic estimates from the trade association Assoesercenti suggest the volcanic activity could result in losses between 12 and 24 million euros for the Sicilian tourism industry. While the eruption has caused significant travel chaos, it has also attracted large crowds of tourists seeking to view the lava flows, leading to concerns from local guides regarding safety and overcrowding on the mountain.

Entities

Catania Airport · Catania Fontanarossa Airport · Catania-Fontanarossa Airport · Catania-Fontanarossa Airport · INGV · Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia · Marcello Mangia · Mount Etna · National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology · Nello Musumeci · Renato Schifani · SAC

Claims

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Sources

Diario di Giovedi 13 Agosto 2026 [www.ilcittadinodimessina.it]