THURSDAY JUN 08, 2023
×
Search AeroXplorer
Aircraft Affected After Mt. Etna Erupts Beside Italian Airport

Aircraft Affected After Mt. Etna Erupts Beside Italian Airport

BY ADAM SCHUPAK 05/26/2023 AGO 0 COMMENTS

The largest airport on the Italian island of Sicily — Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) — re-opened on May 22 following the eruption of Mount Etna.

 

Photo: AeroXplorer | Daniel Mena



ADVERTISEMENT • REMOVE ALL ADS

 

Mount Etna's Latest Eruption

 

In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 21, the tallest volcano in Europe, Mount Etna, began to erupt. The eruption, which was the most active in 30 years, spewed hundreds of tons of volcanic ash into the atmosphere above Sicily. This prompted  ENAC, the Italian aviation authority, to decide to close most of the airspace above Sicily due to the threat that volcanic ash poses to aviation.

 

Photo: AeroXplorer | Aner Zarate

 

The area of closed airspace due to ash in the atmosphere included Sicily's largest airport of Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA). The city and airport are located extremely close to Mount Etna, just 35 kilometers (21 miles) from the mountain's volcanic basin.

 



ADVERTISEMENT • REMOVE ALL ADS

 

It is due to this that shortly after the eruption, a thick layer of volcanic ash began to settle around the city of Catania and the surrounding area of the volcano. At this point, airport operations had already been suspended due to the anticipation of the settling of ash onto airport premises, and ash in the airspace surrounding Fontanarossa airport. 

 

Threats of Volcanic Ash

 

Volcanic ash poses an extreme threat to aircraft due to the finite and abrasive nature of the particles that comprise it. If an aircraft is flying through volcanic ash, the particles will typically rub against the fuselage, causing damage.

 



ADVERTISEMENT • REMOVE ALL ADS

Photo: AeroXplorer | Lucas Wu

 

The abrasive nature of the particles can also damage an aircraft's windscreen (cockpit windows), and engine components such as the fan blades. This can severely hamper an aircraft's aerodynamics and ability to fly.

 

For example, if volcanic ash accumulates enough in an aircraft's engines, the sticky particles can clog the air intake, preventing the blades from spinning. 

 



ADVERTISEMENT • REMOVE ALL ADS

 

Despite the closure of Catania's main airport, Falcone-Borsellino Airport (PMO) in the nearby city of Palermo remained open, with the airport's flights operating mostly on time.

The volcanic ash being ejected from Mount Etna was being blown from the volcano — which is on the Eastern coast of Sicily — out into the Mediterranean Sea. Since Catania is South-East of Mount Etna, it experienced a thick layer of volcanic ash, while Palermo did not experience any due to it being on the opposite side of the wind flow. 

 



ADVERTISEMENT • REMOVE ALL ADS


 

Catania Airport (CTA) Re-Opened to Air Traffic at 9 AM. 

 

On the morning of May 22, the Italian aviation authority (ENAC) re-opened Sicilian airspace. At 7:00 a.m., an official announcement was made by Fontanarossa Airport through their social media accounts stating "...From 9 am the airport will be operational again and flight operations will be restored, with initial limitations...delays may occur..."

 



ADVERTISEMENT • REMOVE ALL ADS

 

Photos shared to social media from Fontanarossa airport showed aircraft that had been stranded on the ground during the volcanic eruption. As for Fontanarossa airport's runway, it is most likely that the ash was cleared off via a combination of natural forces and runway plowing machines similar to those that clear snow in more northerly countries. 

 

A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 left on the ground during the eruption of Mount Etna at Catania's Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) | Photo: @aviationbrk via Twitter 



ADVERTISEMENT • REMOVE ALL ADS


Following the eruption of Mount Etna and the re-opening of Fontanarossa Airport, no airlines that fly to Catania have made any public statements regarding their aircraft or operations at Catania. As of Thursday, May 25, 2022, it is not known whether or not airlines provided their passengers any additional accommodations and/or re-bookings due to the disruptions.

Adam Schupak
Adam Schupak is a member of the AeroXplorer staff team, writing articles and contributing to their podcast - Aerospace by AeroXplorer. Adam is interested in anything public transport related and is currently training to become a glider pilot.

Comments (0)

Add Your Comment

SHARE

TAGS

NEWS Catania Italy Italian Aviation Airport Volcano Natural Disasters

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

Spirit's Inaugural A321neo Flight Lands in Chicago American low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines recently completed the inaugural revenue service of its brand-new Airbus A321neo. The flight operated on June 7th, 2023 from Fort Lauderdale to Chicago. NEWS READ MORE »
Air India 777 Diverts to Russian City Following Engine Problems On June 6, an Air India Boeing 777-200LR, possibly with U.S. citizens onboard, was forced to divert to a Russian airport after a technical issue with one of the aircraft's engines. NEWS READ MORE »
PGA Tour and LIV Golf Merger: What's in it for Airlines? The PGA Tour and LIV Golf have announced plans to merge into one global golf league after months of legal disputes. The merger is expected to have a significant impact on golf, including in terms of the airlines that currently sponsor the existing leagues. Who will be the league's official airline in the future? NEWS READ MORE »


SHOP

$2999
NEW!AeroXplorer Aviation Sweater Use code AVGEEK for 10% off! BUY NOW

FOLLOW US ONLINE