The new activity of Etna complicates travel to Sicily again. Catania-Fontanarossa airport has kept its operations suspended this Tuesday due to the presence of volcanic ash in the airspace, with canceled flights and connections diverted to other airports.
The latest communication available from the airport manager, SAC, extended until 2:30 PM this Tuesday, September 15 the suspension of both arriving and departing flights due to the closure of air sectors C1 and B3.
The situation may continue to change throughout the day, so passengers with a planned trip to Catania should check directly with their airline the status of their flight before traveling to the airport.
What to do if you have a flight to Catania
The first step is to check the specific status of the flight with the airline. The suspension of operations does not necessarily mean that all passengers will follow the same procedure: a connection may be canceled, delayed, or diverted to another airport.
SAC has expressly requested travelers to not go to the airport without checking their flight beforehand.
The recommendation is particularly important because the situation is evolving based on the ash emissions from Etna and the direction of the winds at altitude.
Cancellations and diverted flights due to ash
The impact on operations began on Monday and has been considerable. During the day of September 14, 152 flights were affected by cancellations, diversions, and rescheduling, according to the report published by local media.
Of these, 82 were canceled and another 70 were diverted or rescheduled. A good number of flights that could not land in Catania were sent to other airports.
Palermo, Comiso, and Trapani were among the airports used to receive diverted connections.
What happens if my flight is diverted to another airport?
If the airline diverts the flight, the passenger must follow the instructions provided by the airline itself to complete the journey.
It is not advisable to immediately purchase a new flight or transportation on one's own without first consulting the alternatives offered by the airline, especially if one intends to claim those expenses later.
Passengers should also keep boarding passes, reservation confirmations, communications from the airline, and receipts for expenses arising from the incident.
Why the eruption of Etna affects airplanes
The problem is not only the volcanic activity on land. The volcanic ash in the atmosphere poses a risk to air navigation, so authorities may restrict sectors of airspace when emissions reach the routes used by airplanes.
In this episode, the combination of ash emission and the direction of high-altitude winds has caused the closure of sectors C1 and B3 linked to the operations of Catania.
The airport already suffered significant disruptions this Monday. The restrictions were expanded throughout the day as the situation of the volcano evolved.
When will Catania airport return to normal operations?
There is currently no time that allows for a definitive return to normalcy.
The latest available update extended the suspension of arrivals and departures until 2:30 PM on Tuesday, but SAC had announced that it would provide new updates as the situation evolved.
Therefore, even passengers with flights scheduled for after that time should check their connection before going to Fontanarossa.