SHARE
COPY LINK

TRAVEL NEWS

Flights suspended at Italy’s Catania airport after major fire

Flights to and from Catania airport were suspended amid the peak summer travel season after a blaze on Sunday night left the terminal covered in a thick blanket of smoke.

Alitalia planes at an Italian airport
Flights to and from Catania's Vincenzo Bellini airport were suspended after Etna's eruption. Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP

Catania airport’s management said on Monday morning that flights were suspended until 2pm on Wednesday, with affected flights expected to be diverted to nearby airports.

An investigation is set to get underway into the cause of the fire which reportedly started at 11.30pm on Sunday on the ground floor of the airport before spreading to the first floor.

The blaze was quickly “contained and put out” by the local fire brigade, according to reports, but left the entire airport covered in smoke.

No one was injured, the airport said in a tweet, though Italian news agency Ansa said that some people suffered from slight smoke inhalation and were in a state of shock.

National news media reported passengers crying and screaming as they rushed out of the building.

The cleanup began on Monday as firefighters were reportedly still on site to secure the building and check for structural damage.

It wasn’t clear at the time of writing which airports flights would be diverted to, though two inbound flights were diverted to Trapani airport, on Sicily’s west coast, on Sunday.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

STRIKES

What to expect from Italy’s nationwide rail strike on Sunday

Train passengers in Italy may face disruption on Sunday, May 19th as staff at railway operators including Trenitalia and Italo plan a 23-hour strike.

What to expect from Italy’s nationwide rail strike on Sunday

Passengers travelling across Italy by train may face delays or cancellations this weekend as staff at state-owned railway operator Ferrovie dello Stato – which includes Trenitalia, Trenord and Trenitalia Tper – and private company Italo plan to strike from 3am on Sunday, May 19th  to 2am on Monday, May 20th, for a total of 23 hours.

The walkout was called by the PdM/PdB transport union in mid-April to demand the renewal of collective labour agreements in the rail transport sector.

The planned protest is expected to affect all types of rail travel, from long-distance services to regional and local ones, with the overall level of disruption expected to vary by city and operator.

While rail companies are legally required to guarantee the operation of a number of minimum services (servizi minimi) during strikes taking place on weekdays, there’s no such requirement for weekend walkouts.

This means that operators are free to decide whether or not to guarantee services for passengers.

Trenitalia 

National rail operator Trenitalia said in a statement that their services “may experience cancellations or changes” for the entire length of the strike, though the protest may also “result in service variations both before its start and after its end”. 

Trenitalia said it will operate a number of long-distance services during the walkout. These are available here.

READ ALSO: The transport strikes that will hit travel in Italy in May 2024

The operator advises passengers planning to travel on Sunday to check the status of their journey via the Infomobilità section of their website, their mobile app, or by calling toll-free number 800 89 20 21.

Italo

Staff at private long-distance operator Italo are also expected to take part in the protest according to a statement from Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), which owns and manages all of Italy’s railway network.

It was unclear at the time of writing exactly how the strike would impact the operator’s services, but delays and/or cancellations could not be ruled out.

Italo said it will guarantee the operation of a number of long-distance services during the walkout. You can find them highlighted in green in this table.

For further information, you can contact Italo’s support centre at 892 020.

Trenord

Trenord, which operates a number of regional trains in the Lombardy region, including connections to and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport, said that the walkout “may have repercussions” on all of their scheduled services.

Trenord will not operate minimum services during the strike. However, should airport link services be cancelled, replacement buses will run the same routes. 

See Trenord’s website or app for the latest updates.

Trenitalia Tper

Trenitalia Tper, which operates a number of trains in the Emilia-Romagna region, said that their services “may experience changes or cancellations” due to the walkout. 

The operator hasn’t yet provided any information regarding possible guaranteed services.

See their website for the latest updates.

What to do if your train is cancelled

If a pre-booked rail service is cancelled due to strike action in Italy, passengers are normally allowed to travel on other equivalent services or are entitled to a refund.

Passengers travelling with Trenitalia can request a refund either at the station or by completing this web form, whereas Italo generally issues refunds automatically.

Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.

SHOW COMMENTS