Mount Etna eruption strands 30,000 tourists in Sicily

Mount Etna, Europe's tallest and most active volcano, has been erupting continuously since last Friday, sending enormous flows of lava from two vents of its 3,324-metre summit along with vast ash clouds that have blanketed the island of Sicily. An additional crater opened during the night, intensifying the eruption.

Chaos at Catania airport

The fallout has been severe for travel. More than 200 flights have been cancelled or diverted from Catania's Fontanarossa Airport, which handles over 12 million passengers a year. Red alert — the highest aviation warning level, indicating an imminent or ongoing eruption with significant ash output — has been repeatedly declared for the area. Aircraft on the tarmac have been covered with protective sheets to shield engines from ash deposits, while runways require constant cleaning.

Approximately 30,000 tourists are estimated to be affected by the disruption, with many spending the night at the airport after their flights were cancelled. Stranded passengers reported overwhelmed staff struggling to cope with the volume of queries and rebooking requests.

No escape route left

For travellers desperate to leave Sicily, alternatives to flying have also dried up. Accommodation on the island is largely fully booked, as are flights out of Palermo, Sicily's other main airport. Train connections from the island to the Italian mainland — which involve a ferry crossing of the Strait of Messina — are also sold out for days ahead.

Authorities have not yet given a timeline for when normal flight operations at Catania might resume. Sicily is one of Italy's most popular summer destinations, and the eruption has come at the height of the tourist season.