Mount Etna’s latest explosive episode disrupted air-traffic patterns across eastern Sicily on 1 December. At 14:00 local time the airport operator SAC closed the main approach sectors (C1 and C2) to Catania Fontanarossa after the Italian vulcanology institute (INGV) issued a red “VONA” aviation warning. Within minutes, Ryanair flight FR6175 from Bergamo and EasyJet flight EZS5077 from Berlin were rerouted to Palermo. By evening, more than 25 inbound services—including ITA Airways, KLM and Wizz Air rotations—had either diverted or been cancelled.
Although one air corridor reopened by 18:00, newly formed ash plumes forced closure of additional sectors (B2) until 06:30 the following morning, prolonging passenger misery. Travellers were bussed the 240 kilometres back to Catania, many arriving after midnight. Logistics operators moving perishable goods through Sicily’s primary cargo gateway also scrambled to reroute consignments via Palermo or Comiso.
![Etna Ash Cloud Forces Catania Arrivals to Divert to Palermo]()
The incident highlights a growing operational risk for airlines serving Italy’s volcanic south. In the first nine months of 2025, Etna prompted 12 separate flight-management advisories, a 30 % increase over the same period in 2024. Carriers have begun factoring in higher fuel reserves and longer block times for Sicilian sectors—a cost likely to be passed on to corporate travel budgets.
Global-mobility teams with assignees in Catania, Augusta and the Eni-supported LNG terminals should ensure travellers register for airline SMS alerts and pack contingency funds for unexpected overnight stays in Palermo. Employers may also wish to review business-continuity plans for time-sensitive cargo routed through eastern Sicily.
In the medium term, SAC and ENAV (Italy’s air-navigation service provider) plan to install additional ash-detection radar by mid-2026, which should shorten closure windows. Until then, Etna’s rumblings remain an unpredictable variable for anyone flying into southern Italy.
Although one air corridor reopened by 18:00, newly formed ash plumes forced closure of additional sectors (B2) until 06:30 the following morning, prolonging passenger misery. Travellers were bussed the 240 kilometres back to Catania, many arriving after midnight. Logistics operators moving perishable goods through Sicily’s primary cargo gateway also scrambled to reroute consignments via Palermo or Comiso.
The incident highlights a growing operational risk for airlines serving Italy’s volcanic south. In the first nine months of 2025, Etna prompted 12 separate flight-management advisories, a 30 % increase over the same period in 2024. Carriers have begun factoring in higher fuel reserves and longer block times for Sicilian sectors—a cost likely to be passed on to corporate travel budgets.
Global-mobility teams with assignees in Catania, Augusta and the Eni-supported LNG terminals should ensure travellers register for airline SMS alerts and pack contingency funds for unexpected overnight stays in Palermo. Employers may also wish to review business-continuity plans for time-sensitive cargo routed through eastern Sicily.
In the medium term, SAC and ENAV (Italy’s air-navigation service provider) plan to install additional ash-detection radar by mid-2026, which should shorten closure windows. Until then, Etna’s rumblings remain an unpredictable variable for anyone flying into southern Italy.
