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Sicily's Catania Airport shuts down due to Mount Etna eruption; 1,000+ flights canceled
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Sicily's busiest travel hub, Catania Airport, will remain closed until early Friday morning as Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, continues to erupt, according to a Bloomberg report. The ongoing volcanic activity, which has affected over 1,350 flights over the past week, has severely disrupted summer travel to the popular island destination.According to the latest post, the airport extended the halt on passenger flights through 8 a.m. Friday. It was earlier said all takeoffs and landings would remain suspended at the island hub through at least 2 a.m.According to the airport operator, Società Aeroporto Catania, and local reporting by La Repubblica, the closures have caused widespread travel chaos, with about 1,000 flights cancelled and another 350 rerouted to other facilities between Aug. 6 and Aug. 12.More than 100,000 passengers are estimated to have been affected, La Repubblica reported.With Catania closed for the majority of the week, flights have been diverted to other Sicilian airports, including Palermo, Trapani, and Comiso. This sudden shift in logistics has created severe challenges for travellers on the ground. Some passengers have been forced to sleep at the airport, while many have had to rely heavily on buses and trains to reach their destinations.A severe shortage of available rental cars has also caused local transportation prices to skyrocket, according to a Bloomberg report.Carriers say ‘have to cancel’ flightsRyanair, a dominant carrier at Catania, said passengers should expect heavy delays, cancellations and diversions on Thursday. While Wizz Air, EasyJet and Ita Airways are among the other carriers active at the hub in southeast Sicily.EasyJet said it cancelled its one return flight from London Gatwick on Thursday, while Wizz said it’s been trying to divert planes.However, Comiso has also been affected by Etna’s plumes, and Palermo has become crowded, “so there are some flights which we have to cancel, unfortunately.”Società Aeroporto Catania, which also operates Comiso airport, said it is coordinating with other airports and authorities to manage the Etna ash emergency.Mount Etna eruption: Impact, responseMount Etna’s frequent eruptions have often hindered flights at Catania, its volcanic ash coats everything — from airport runways to patios and swimming pools. Aircraft flying by the volcanic ash risk fouling sensitive engine components.Tourism accounts for about 4.2% of Sicily’s economy, according to a Unicredit report in March, with an estimated 22.5 million visitors last year. Small-business lobby Confartigianato said separately that tourism, restaurants and hotels were expected to create about 20,000 jobs in the third quarter.According to preliminary estimates compiled by industry group Assoesercenti, four days of disruption would affect between €13 million ($15 million) and €24 million in tourist spending.The island needs a permanent, centralised planning body to coordinate between airports, airlines and other businesses to ease the impact of Etna’s eruptions, said Salvo Politino, Assoesercenti’s president.“We can’t stop the Etna, but we can prepare,” Politino said. “Above all, we can prevent every natural disaster from turning into an economic and image emergency for Sicily.”(With Bloomberg inputs)Stay updated with the latest Trending, India, World and US news. HomeNewsWorldSicily's Catania Airport shuts down due to Mount Etna eruption; 1,000+ flights canceledMore
The US Department of State this month made permanent a visa bond programme that was initially introduced as a pilot in August 2025.Under the programme, consular officers can require certain tourist and business visa applicants from 50 designated countries to post refundable bonds of up to $20,000. (Photo: Getty Images via AFP)The US travel industry has raised concerns that the Trump administration could expand its visa bond programme to more countries, warning that such a move could discourage international visitors and hurt the American economy.The US Travel Association said expanding the programme beyond the 50 countries currently covered could have a significant impact on tourism and travel-related businesses.“There are already rumblings of expanding this program to additional countries where visas are required, perhaps all countries where visas are required,” US Travel Association President Geoff Freeman told Reuters.“That would have an extraordinarily detrimental effect on the US economy, on the travel industry,” he said.Visa bond programme made permanentThe US Department of State this month made permanent a visa bond programme that was initially introduced as a pilot in August 2025.Under the programme, consular officers can require certain tourist and business visa applicants from 50 designated countries to post refundable bonds of up to $20,000.The bond can be forfeited if a traveller overstays their authorised period or violates other conditions of their immigration status.The administration says the programme is designed to address visa overstays and concerns related to information-sharing, security vetting and document systems in countries with higher rates of visa violations.The State Department has also said additional countries can be added to the programme with 15 days' notice.Visa issuances plunge 83%The Trump administration said visa issuances to applicants from the countries covered by the pilot programme fell 83% during its first 10 months.At the same time, visa overstays from those countries reportedly dropped sharply — from 45,488 in fiscal 2024 to fewer than 50 during the pilot period, according to the administration.The countries currently covered are predominantly in Africa, with others located in Asia, the Caribbean, Central Asia and Latin America.However, the travel industry argues that the programme could discourage legitimate travellers along with those deemed at higher risk of overstaying.Travel to US already under pressureFreeman said the countries currently covered account for less than 2% of visitors to the United States, meaning the programme's direct impact is currently limited.But he warned that the broader US travel industry is already experiencing a decline in international arrivals.Travel from Canada has fallen 25%, while travel from Asia is reportedly at around 50% of 2019 levels, Freeman said.Preliminary data from the National Travel and Tourism Office showed that total overseas travel to the US was down 4.3% year-to-date through June. International travel also fell 1.8% in June, despite the FIFA World Cup being held during the period.Industry questions travel policyThe travel industry had hoped the World Cup would provide a major boost to international tourism and encourage policymakers to introduce measures that would make visiting the US easier.Freeman said the weaker-than-expected visitor numbers during the tournament should instead serve as a warning against policies that could further discourage international travel.“If we can't have year-over-year increases in travelers during the World Cup, which we didn't, what the heck are we going to do in an average September?” Freeman said.The US Travel Association's concerns come as the administration seeks to tighten immigration controls while the tourism industry tries to attract more international visitors. An expansion of the visa bond programme could become another obstacle for travellers and further weigh on international tourism to th
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