Catania airport in Sicily has suspended operations as of Saturday, 26 September 2026, due to volcanic ash from Mount Etna and adverse weather, according to the operating authority. All incoming flights at the facility are grounded until 1000 GMT on Sunday.
This is not the first time Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano, has affected local air travel. Flights at Catania airport were also suspended on 14 September due to volcanic ash. Another closure occurred a month prior, coinciding with the Ferragosto holiday.
Boris Behncke, a researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology’s Etna Observatory, previously stated that volcanic ash poses a significant risk to aircraft, as it can be drawn into motors and cause them to stall.