Mount Etna is the biggest active Vulcan in Europe. It raises high upon Catania and it's airport Fontanarossa. Besides the massive lava eruptions it often shows his activiy with explosions of small glowing rocks and ashes (which fall on surrounding villages) and high smoke columns. Although Catania's airport is not in danger to be hit by the lava, sometimes flights are reduced or the airport is even closed for the bad view or for the ash clouds, which could damnage the airplans. Often newspapers report in a too catastrofic way, but if you plan to arrive or depart from Catania's airport in the period of an eruption of the vulcan you should better take previous information. The website of Catania Fontanarossa Airport (in italian and english) is always updated about the state of flights. Usually the air companies inform their clients about changes in time, but in case of activity of Mount Etna it can happen that the airport is closed from one moment to the other. Sometimes it depends on the direction of the wind whether the ashes are going to fall on the airport's site or not. What possibilities are there for the passengers ? Mainly flights delay for cleaning work on the runway.

Otherwise the departure from or to Catania can be directly delayed waiting for an improvement of the conditions. In case of longer delays the airport and the air companies have to provide assistance to the passengers. Very rarely flights are cancelled. In case it is not possible to use Catania's airport for a longer time the flights land or depart from the next nearest airport (Punta Raisi in Palermo). In this case the airport provides a bus transfer service for the passengers, but that evidently causes a quite long delay, because the distance between Palermo and Catania is 240 km and it takes about 2 hours 40 min. by bus. Unfortunately informations are not always given in several languages and that might make you feel lost.

Anyhow, it's always better to inform youself before leaving, when Mount Etna is activ in the period of your journey see the website of Catania Fontanarossa airport to be updated about the situation..

Contacts

Aeroporto internazionale "Vincenzo Bellini" - Catania Fontanarossa
Tel. +39 095.7239111
Website - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Credits - text: S.Leggio/Sicily-Holiday.com - photo: P.Gilioli/Siciliafacebook