Etna ash cloud leaves 140 Brussels Airlines passengers stuck in Sicily

Around 140 passengers booked on a Brussels Airlines flight from Catania to Brussels were left stranded in Sicily on Saturday evening after renewed volcanic activity at Mount Etna forced Catania Fontanarossa Airport to close and led to the cancellation of the carrier’s only direct service to Brussels that night.

Airport closure triggers last minute cancellation

According to published coverage from Belgian media, the Brussels Airlines flight was scheduled to depart Catania for Brussels Airport on the evening of Saturday 26 September, with an expected arrival at Zaventem around 21:15. The service was cancelled after an ash cloud from nearby Mount Etna prompted authorities to temporarily shut down Catania Fontanarossa Airport.

Reports indicate that around 140 travellers were affected by the decision, leaving them unexpectedly stuck on the island at the tail end of the busy late‑September travel period. The airline has not publicly detailed the exact flight number involved, but Brussels Airlines typically operates its Catania to Brussels route using Airbus single‑aisle aircraft configured with around 140 to 180 seats.

Catania Airport, the main gateway for eastern Sicily, announced a suspension of operations until at least midday on Sunday 27 September as a safety precaution while volcanic ash drifted across airspace used for arrivals and departures. That closure meant that no commercial carrier could operate take offs or landings during the affected window.

Local Italian coverage notes that numerous flights on Saturday evening were either diverted to Palermo or cancelled outright, as airlines adjusted schedules around the airport shutdown. Services to several European capitals were impacted, including links to Brussels.

Disruption spreads across Brussels–Catania route

Brussels Airlines runs a limited but regular schedule between Brussels Airport and Catania, with non‑stop flights several times a week in late September. Timetables compiled by independent flight data platforms show at least four weekly rotations on the Brussels–Catania route during this period, shared across different days of the week.

For the weekend of the disruption, flight listings indicate a Brussels–Catania service scheduled on Saturday afternoon and additional flights on Sunday and Tuesday, under the flight designator SN3131 on the outbound leg and SN3132 on the return. The cancelled Catania–Brussels sector effectively removed the airline’s only direct connection back to the Belgian capital on Saturday night.

In response to the ash‑related closure at Catania, public information from Brussels‑based outlets states that at least one Brussels Airlines flight planned to depart Brussels for Catania on Saturday was rerouted to Palermo instead. Passengers on that inbound service were to be transferred by road from Palermo to Catania, a journey that generally takes around three hours by motorway along Sicily’s northern coast.

Schedules for Sunday were also adjusted. A Brussels Airlines flight that had been due to reach Brussels from Catania around 18:05 on Sunday was expected to operate instead via Palermo, while the carrier’s only scheduled departure from Catania on Sunday was cancelled entirely. This created knock‑on effects for travellers at both ends of the route and reduced direct capacity between Belgium and eastern Sicily for at least 24 to 36 hours.

What the disruption means for stranded travellers

Reports from recent airport closures in Catania linked to Etna show that travellers typically face a mix of diversions, overnight stays and rebookings when operations are suspended because of ash. Under European air passenger rules, carriers remain responsible for providing care such as meals and accommodation when flights are cancelled at short notice, even when the underlying cause is an extraordinary circumstance like volcanic activity.

Publicly available guidance on passenger rights within the European Union states that travellers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to the choice of rerouting at the earliest opportunity or a refund of the unused ticket portion. In addition, airlines are expected to offer reasonable assistance, which can include hotel rooms and ground transport, while passengers wait for an alternative connection.

Given that Catania Airport is currently closed until at least midday on Sunday, travellers from the cancelled Brussels Airlines flight may need to rely on later services from Catania once the airport reopens or accept rerouting via alternative Sicilian gateways such as Palermo. Timetables show that other airlines, including another Belgian carrier, also operate between Belgium and Sicily, but volcanic ash restrictions can affect all operators serving the region simultaneously.

Airlines also routinely make use of nearby airports and bus transfers in situations like this. Reports on Saturday described several flights that were diverted to Palermo, which remained open, with passengers later transported overland to or from Catania. Travellers on the cancelled Brussels Airlines flight could therefore face multi‑leg journeys combining road and air segments to complete their trip back to Brussels once new arrangements are in place.

Mount Etna’s renewed activity again hits Catania Airport

Saturday’s disruption is the latest example of how Mount Etna’s activity can quickly affect aviation in eastern Sicily. When the volcano emits large quantities of ash, aviation authorities commonly raise the flight alert level and temporarily halt take offs and landings at Catania to protect aircraft engines and ensure visibility in controlled airspace.

In this case, Italian media reported a new ash plume visible from the volcano on 26 September, triggering the closure of Catania Airport for several hours. Similar events in recent summers have led to partial or full shutdowns of the airport, with significant numbers of flights cancelled or diverted and thousands of passengers experiencing delays.

Catania’s role as a key entry point for visitors to destinations such as Taormina, Syracuse and Mount Etna itself magnifies the impact of any closure. Flight schedules for late September show a dense pattern of services linking Catania with major European hubs and leisure markets, meaning that even a short disruption can affect holidaymakers, business travellers and local residents.

Travel forums dedicated to Sicily have recently shared advice on how to navigate Etna‑related flight disruptions, highlighting rail and long‑distance coach connections between Catania, Palermo and Messina as useful backup options when flights are cancelled. While these alternatives cannot replace a direct air link to Brussels, they can help travellers reach larger transport hubs in Italy where additional flight options are available.

Advice for travellers with upcoming flights to or from Sicily

For travellers holding tickets on upcoming flights between Brussels and Sicily, publicly available airport and airline information underlines the importance of checking flight status frequently, especially when Mount Etna shows increased activity. Airlines may adjust schedules, change aircraft types or reroute services at short notice as conditions evolve.

In the days following the closure, published booking data from Brussels Airlines shows continued availability on Catania–Brussels services, with one‑way fares in the final week of September starting in the low to mid‑300 euro range and varying by day. However, these seats are subject to rapid change as stranded passengers are rebooked and new travellers make late‑minute reservations.

Passengers who need to travel urgently might also consider flights from Palermo, which is connected to Brussels and other major European cities by both full‑service and low‑cost carriers. Independent route trackers list several weekly non‑stop flights linking Brussels with Sicily, split between Catania and Palermo, although exact frequencies shift between the summer and shoulder seasons.

Given the fluid nature of the situation, travellers are advised by consumer groups and travel associations to monitor alerts from their airline, review their rights under European air passenger regulations and allow extra time when connecting to long‑haul services in other hubs. For those already on the ground in Sicily, having flexible plans and being prepared for overland transfers between the island’s two main airports can reduce the stress of any last‑minute changes triggered by Mount Etna’s unpredictable ash clouds.