Mount Etna’s latest eruptive phase forced the complete closure of Catania–Fontanarossa airport on Monday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded on Sicily. According to Italian aviation authorities, the suspension of all flight operations—first imposed on arrivals late Sunday evening—was extended to departures early Monday and was set to last until 14:00 local time, with the possibility of further extension. No injuries have been reported among tourists or residents, and local officials confirmed that all hikers present on the volcano at the time of the intensifying activity were evacuated safely.

Airport operator SAC said the decision followed a shift in wind direction that pushed the ash cloud south and south-west, contaminating the airspace above the runway. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) recorded the ash emission beginning around 05:45 GMT on Sunday from a vent high on the eastern flank of the Voragine crater, intensifying an hour later. The eruptive column reached approximately 1.5 km above the summit and was carried by winds towards the south and south-south-east. INGV dispersion models indicated the ash would persist over the same sectors for several hours.

At least 23 flights bound for Catania were diverted to Palermo’s Falcone–Borsellino airport, whose operator reported no significant disruption and arranged bus transfers for passengers to the eastern city. Israeli carrier Israir said its morning flight to Catania was cancelled and that it was awaiting updated safety instructions, while Swedish travellers described being rebooked onto flights departing from Palermo, three hours away by road. Initial reports from some Israeli media had suggested both Catania and Palermo airports were operating normally, but those accounts were overtaken by the full suspension order issued later on Monday morning.

The current eruptive cycle began on 26 June with strombolian activity and lava flows in the summit area. INGV noted that the effusive phase had exhausted itself by 4 July, with a small secondary flow on the night of 2–3 July advancing just over 100 metres before stopping. The ash emission that disrupted air traffic is a distinct phenomenon, driven by explosive activity at the Voragine crater rather than by lava effusion. Authorities have closed roads leading to the mountain to keep sightseers away and to allow emergency services unimpeded access.

As of midday Monday, the airport remained shut and passengers were advised not to travel to the terminal without first confirming their flight status with their airline. The situation is being monitored jointly by civil protection officials and volcanologists, with no official estimate yet of when full operations might resume.