Mount Etna eruption forces Catania Airport to halt flights amid ash cloud

What happened

On Monday, 14 September 2026, Mount Etna in Sicily erupted, producing an ash plume estimated at four kilometres high. The cloud drifted south, directly towards Catania Airport – the island’s main gateway, situated about 30 km (20 miles) from the volcano’s summit.

Airport operator SAC initially suspended all landings until 4 p.m. local time (1400 GMT). By mid‑afternoon the ban was extended to 10 p.m., and departures were also halted for the same period.

Who is affected

The disruption hit travellers on dozens of scheduled services. Express reported that 34 flights were cancelled and 38 diverted to alternate Sicilian airports such as Palermo, Trapani, Comiso and Lamezia Terme.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice for Italy, warning British citizens that flights were being affected by the ash cloud and urging them to check with airlines or Catania Airport before travelling.

Official response

Italy’s civil‑aviation regulator ENAC, represented by special commissioner Carlo Mearelli, called the situation “a matter of concern” and urged the creation of a "structured backup" plan to manage repeated closures. Mearelli announced an international trial on volcanic risk to civil aviation to be held in Naples next month, involving roughly 50 experts in safety systems and emergency coordination.

The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) raised the volcano’s aviation alert to RED at 4:43 a.m., after having listed it at ORANGE on 11 September. The red alert means that ash concentrations are high enough to pose a serious danger to aircraft engines.

What comes next

With the ash cloud still present, authorities are monitoring wind direction closely. If conditions improve, SAC may lift the suspension after 10 p.m.; otherwise further delays are possible.

The recent eruption follows an especially disruptive ash episode in August, when 36 % of roughly 2,000 scheduled flights were cancelled and more than 600 passengers were rerouted. That episode sparked a price‑gouging complaint from consumer group Codacons, which accused local taxi and car‑rental firms of inflating rates amid the chaos.

Aviation chief Boris Behncke of INGV’s Etna Observatory reminded that volcanic ash can be drawn into jet engines, causing them to stall – a risk that underpins the strict caution exercised by airlines.

Travelers are advised to keep an eye on updates from the FCDO, ENAC and their airlines, as the situation remains fluid and the volcano stays on the highest aviation alert level.

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Key take‑aways

• Flights at Catania Airport were halted from the morning of 14 September, first for arrivals and later for departures.
• The ash cloud reached an estimated height of four kilometres.
• 34 flights were cancelled and 38 diverted.
• ENGV placed Etna on a red aviation alert at 4:43 a.m.
• The UK issued a travel advisory urging checks before travel.
• ENAC is pushing for an emergency backup plan and will host an international trial on volcanic risk in Naples next month.