Etna erupts again: chaos at Catania airport, risk of higher air fares

Mount Etna erupted once more, causing chaos at Catania-Fontanarossa airport and raising concerns about potential higher air fares. The airport's management, Sac, closed the relevant airspace due to heavy ash emissions and unfavorable wind conditions, suspending all flights until Sunday, 27 September 23:59. Initially, the halt lasted until 12:00, but it was extended. The company encouraged passengers to verify their flight status before heading to the terminal.

The eruption's impact rippled through Sicily's regional transport network. Flight suspensions triggered cascading effects at other Sicilian airports, including Comiso, Palermo, and Trapani, as diverted aircraft caused congestion. The situation transformed a logistical breakdown into an economic and industrial-relations dispute, stranding thousands of travelers.

The emergency sparked strong reactions from trade unions, who denounced the risk of speculative air fares during a vulnerable period for citizens. Acli Terra reported abnormal increases and prohibitive costs for flights, highlighting extreme cases like a Verona-Palermo route soaring to approximately 1,180 euros. The union emphasized that a natural emergency should not lead to economic damage for families and called on authorities to monitor price rises, stressing the importance of managing recurring events to maintain the Sicilian system's credibility and reputation.

Transport unions criticized organizational shortcomings, describing the situation as "total chaos." Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, and Uiltrasporti Sicilia expressed dismay at the lack of contingency plans for an Etna eruption, now considering it a structural issue rather than an unforeseeable event. The unions accused airline and ground staff of bearing the brunt of passenger exasperation in extreme stress without clear guidelines.

They urged the Region to establish a permanent protocol with reliable operational flows and adequate protections, moving beyond the ineffective logic of constant emergency situations.