Etna shuts Catania's sky again and flights are cancelled

The Etna has roared again and Catania airport has been forced to cancel flights because of the volcanic ash cloud covering Sicilian airspace. According to Hosteltur, the new eruption of the Sicilian volcano has triggered cancellations at the airfield, a recurring event that has already happened several times in recent years.

Sicily is a gateway to Europe for a large share of Italian tourism, and many of those travellers have the Caribbean as their sun destination. Every time Catania closes, a link breaks in the European air network. Dominican travellers flying to Rome, Milan or Catania before heading on to Punta Cana or Santo Domingo feel the effect through chain delays, rescheduling and extra hotel nights.

The read from here is clear. The Dominican Republic's air connectivity with Europe rests on hubs such as Madrid, Lisbon, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, but southern Italy moves a passenger volume that should not be overlooked. When an airport like Catania closes, airlines relocate capacity and routes, and that is where a destination working its promotion well can gain flights others lose. Ash does not close the sky forever, but it does open windows of opportunity for whoever is ready with their commercial pitch.