Mount Etna eruption disrupts Catania airport and Malta flights

Mount Etna's ash cloud suspended arrivals at Catania International Airport on 10 August 2026. Italy's INGV reported intense strombolian activity — explosive bursts of lava — escalating to a lava fountain at the Voragine crater. By 11 August, 19 Malta flights were cancelled. The airport, 25 km from Etna's summit, sits directly in ash plume paths under prevailing winds.