Volcanic activity on Mount Etna forced Catania Airport to suspend operations on the evening of 26 September, prompting Brussels Airlines to cancel flight SN 3131 to Brussels and divert the inbound positioning aircraft to Palermo. Some 140 passengers were left overnight in Sicily; the carrier said it would re-accommodate them on services planned for Sunday or Monday and provide ground transport between the two Sicilian airports. The eruption underscores the vulnerability of Mediterranean aviation corridors to sudden volcanic ash events, which can damage jet engines. TUI and several Italian carriers also rerouted flights, and the airport authority indicated the closure could last until midday on 27 September pending an atmospheric assessment. For business travellers the disruption illustrates the importance of contingency planning: Sicily has few alternative long-haul gateways and limited hotel capacity near Palermo at peak season. Mobility teams with staff in the region should advise travellers to retain boarding-pass stubs and expense receipts to facilitate EU-261 compensation claims, which in this case could reach €400 per passenger. Brussels Airlines has faced operational headwinds this summer – from ATC strikes to staffing shortages – and the Etna incident adds pressure as the Lufthansa Group subsidiary seeks to improve on-time performance. The airline’s crisis-response protocol includes automatic rebooking and meal vouchers but stops short of offering accommodation when force-majeure events occur, leaving employers to fill gaps. Travel insurers have reminded policy-holders that volcanic ash is generally classed as a weather event; claims for missed meetings or extra nights may therefore fall under trip-interruption clauses rather than airline liability. Companies with critical itineraries through southern Italy may wish to route via Rome or Naples until seismic activity subsides.
Source: Aviation24.be
