Catania airport closed until Wednesday: Where else you can fly from, how to get there and refunds

Flights at Catania airport, on the southern Italian island of Sicily, are suspended until Wednesday.

A fire broke out at Catania’s Vincenzo Bellini International Airport on Sunday night. Firefighters were called to put out the blaze and the airport was evacuated. 

Nobody was injured but there are reports of people being treated for smoke inhalation and shock.

The airports serves 91 destinations of which 24 are domestic, according to ItaliaRimborso.

Catania airport: Flights cancelled until Wednesday

It was initially announced that the airport would be closed until Monday morning. However this has now been revised.

Airport authorities have announced that flights are suspended until Wednesday at 2pm, with almost 120,000 passengers predicted to be affected.

Some incoming flights are being diverted to other airports in Sicily such as Palermo, Trapani and Comiso.

Comiso airport is a two-hour drive from Catania airport; both are on the east of the island. Whereas Palermo and Trapani are on the west of the island therefore four-five hours drive from Catania.

It is not yet clear whether passengers will receive compensation or help with unexpected costs.

How to travel between Sicily’s airports

Alibus has increased the frequency of its shuttle buses between Catania airport and the city centre. These will also stop at Catania’s main train station.

Free trains and buses are being provided from Catania airport to the airports where flights are being diverted to, such as Palermo, Comiso and Trapani. 

Trenitalia has increased the frequency of trains between Catania and Palermo airports.

Can you get to Sicily by train or ferry?

In short, yes.

On the east of the island, where Catania is, there are trains from Siracusa, a 1-hour drive from Catania, that take you to the Italian mainland.

There are also ferries from Palermo to Naples and Genova. Check GNV.it for more information on ferry routes. 

Rome2Rio is an excellent travel planning website.

Catania airport: What should passengers do?

If you are due to fly into or out of Catania airport, the first step is to contact your airline or booking agent to discuss rebooking or a refund. This can be done via their website, app, email, phone or social media channels such as official Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Airlines are advising passengers to check their apps for flight information and updates.

Wizz Air says they have “had to cancel the majority of flights from and to Catania today, while a few flights will be operated to Comiso. All affected passengers are being informed about the schedule changes, offered refund and rebooking options as well as hotel accommodation. Wizz Air will be keeping passengers informed via SMS/email about their flight’s status on 18th and 19th of July.”

Italy’s ITA Airways is rerouting some flights to Comiso airport, also on the east coast of Sicily. It has advised passengers to “check your flight status on Flight Info before travelling to the airport.”

Ryanair have said: “All passengers who have been affected by a cancellation or an airport change will be notified of their options.” They have also advised passengers to check the Ryanair app for updates.

Other European airlines have been contacted for comment.

How have passengers reacted?

Travellers are taking to social media to express their discontent.

Many have said they have not received news on what is happening with their flights, with some saying they are waiting on hold on customer service phone lines for upwards of an hour with no response.

One female user took to Twitter after being stuck in Sicily since Saturday, when their Easyjet flight was cancelled. Adults in her group are now running out of medications. She tweeted Wizzair to ask whether their 2.45pm flight out of Catania on Wednesday will run, given that the airport is not due to re-open until 2pm.

Another user has pointed out that tickets for flights out of Catania tomorrow are still onsale via Ryanair’s website.

Sicily is at the centre of European ‘heat storm’

Italy is currently in the grips of a major heatwave. Palermo, Sicily’s biggest city, is one of 16 Italian cities with heat warnings in place. Temperatures are forecast to rise to 48°C later this week.

Watch the video above to see more about Catania airport being closed.