The latest activity by Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, has been unusual for its persistence and sustained ash emissions.
Eruptive activity continues on Mount Etna, where lava flows continue to descend on the slopes of the volcano, as seen from Serracozzo near Catania, Italy on Aug 11, 2026. (Photo: AP/Simone Genovese)
14 Aug 2026 08:55PM
MILAN: Ash spewing from Sicily’s Mount Etna has forced the closure of the Italian island’s largest airport for the fifth consecutive day, stranding hundreds of summer holiday travellers during the biggest travel week of the year.Catania’s airport will remain closed until early Saturday (Aug 15), which falls on the Ferragosto holiday that marks the height of the Italian summer holiday season when millions flock to the sea and mountains, deserting Italian cities.While Etna’s activity often interrupts flights at the airport, located 30km south of the volcano, this is the longest emergency since 2002.“Volcanic ash can be a great risk for aircraft," said Boris Behncke, a researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology’s Etna Observatory. “It can be sucked into the motors, and force them to stall. This is why everyone is so very cautious with aircraft when there is a volcanic ash emission.”
