Busy Italian airport closed, Ryanair and Wizz Air passengers may be affected

Due to a fire, Catania airport, the busiest one in Sicily and the fifth busiest in Italy, will be closed until Wednesday, the airport’s operator said on Twitter on Monday. The fire started half an hour before midnight on Sunday and no one was injured, the operator said.

Firefighters said they managed to extinguish the flames about ninety minutes after the fire was reported. However, they did not comment on the possible causes or on any possible link between the fire and the current high temperatures in the area. A red alert was issued in Catania and Palermo on Sunday due to the heat, Utazómajom writes.

The Catania–Fontanarossa Airport. Source: Wikimedia Commons/
Walter J. Rotelmayer

According to the ANSA news agency, after the fire started, thick smoke began to spread in the lower part of the airport, causing panic among the people, who rushed out of the airport screaming and confused.

Catania airport will be closed until 2 PM on Wednesday. Traffic has been diverted to the island’s airports.

Both Ryanair and Wizz Air operate direct flights to Catania–Fontanarossa Airport. For the time being, flights can still be booked on the reservation system despite the closure of the air station. It is not known whether the airlines will cancel flights or transfer passengers to other airports, Utazómajom clears.

Featured image: Illustration (Pixabay)