Wildfires cause major travel disruption across Europe as flights are cancelled

Sicily's Palermo Airport was forced to close and flights were redirected

Wildfires have disrupted flights across Europe with cancellations and delays.

On Tuesday, Palermo Airport in Sicily was forced to close for hours as the island became the latest European destination to be hit by wildfires.

Air traffic was temporarily halted at the airport in the Sicilian capital as firefighters tackled a fire close to its perimeter.

Several flights in and out of the airport were cancelled and others were rerouted to Trapani Airport, about 111km to the west.

When Palermo partially reopened for business at 11am local time only a limited number of flights were able to land.

Catania's Vincenzo Bellini Airport, Italy's fifth largest airport, was closed last week because of a fire in a terminal.

With flights to 91 destinations, thousands of passengers have been affected as only four flights have been permitted to land at Palermo each hour.

The events in Sicily come as Greece battles fires, which have led to the evacuation of thousands of people, for an eighth day in Rhodes and Corfu.

More evacuations have been ordered in southern Rhodes, where 19,000 people, mostly tourists, have been rescued in buses and boats from the path of the fire that swept towards coastal areas from the mountains.

It is the country's biggest evacuation effort in recent years.

Jet2 and Tui have cancelled all flights to Rhodes as authorities warn the situation is expected to get worse with high winds forecast.

“The situation in the southern part of Rhodes remains volatile and challenging,” Tui said in a statement on Sunday.

“Due to this and considering the impact on local communities being affected, Tui has decided to cancel all flights and booked holidays to Rhodes for departures up to and including Tuesday, July 25.”

Tui, one of the world's largest tour operators, has said it was cancelling trips to Rhodes through to Friday and is offering free cancellations or rebookings to other destinations. It said it had 39,000 customers on Rhodes as of Sunday evening.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry has issued a travel warning for Rhodes, as well as the islands of Corfu and Evia.

A house burns in the Tono district of Messina, Sicily, as a fire rages. AFP

A fireman experiences breathing difficulties after putting out several fires and receives treatment from Red Cross volunteers in Catania, Italy. Getty

The remains of a petrol station, on the Messina - Palermo motorway after an overnight fire. AFP

A torched house and car in the town of Oliveri in the province of Messina, Sicily, after an overnight fire raged across the distric. tAFP

A burnt building in the town of Oliveri in the province of Messina, Sicily. AFP

A firefighter react by a fence, looking at burnt land in Messina, Sicily, after a fire raged. AFP

A wildfire burns near the Sicilian airport "Falcone-Borsellino" in Punta Raisi near Palermo, Italy, July 25, 2023. Ufficio Stampa Gesap/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

The airport was temporarily closed to air traffic in the morning after wildfires in the hills reached the airport perimeter. Reuters

A fire spreading on hills in the area of Monte Grifone and the town of Ciaculli, Sicily. AFP

A wildfire rages around Palermo, with flames threatening nearby houses. AFP

A heat wave has hit southern Europe, with scorching temperatures bringing increased risk of fires and deaths. EPA

On Sardinia, three flights from Milan, Paris and Amsterdam had to be diverted to land elsewhere on the island because the tarmac at Olbia airport was deemed dangerously hot on Monday.

Wildfires on Rhodes and Corfu in Greece – in pictures

A fireman holds a cat and two rabbits after rescuing them from a fire on the Greek island of Rhodes. AFP

Local residents try to extinguish a fire near the seaside resort of Lindos, on the island of Rhodes. AP

Tourists wait for buses at Gennadi Beach on the Island of Rhodes. AP

German tourists and local residents try to extinguish a fire near the seaside resort of Lindos. AP

Tourists take water from the swimming pool of a hotel as they try to extinguish a fire near the seaside resort of Lindos. AP

Smoke rises on Corfu following a wildfire. Reuters

Tourists wait for departing planes at the airport, after being evacuated following a wildfire on the island of Rhodes. Reuters

Over 10,000 people have been evacuated following a wildfire on the island of Rhodes. Reuters

People watch the fires near the village of Malona in Rhodes. AFP

A large wildfire burning on the Greek island of Rhodes has forced authorities to order an evacuation of four locations, including two seaside resorts. AP

A man carries a child as they leave an area where a forest fire burns. AP

The smoke cloud from the forest fire rises over the island of Rhodes. AP

More than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines were operating, assisted by three planes and five helicopters. EPA

Fires are common in Greece but hotter, drier and windy summers have turned the country into a wildfire hotspot in recent years. Reuters

Local officials on Rhodes said on Saturday they had moved 30,000 people threatened by wildfires to safety. Reuters

Volunteers try to put out a wildfire in Kiotari village, on Rhodes island. EPA

An empty beach in Rhodes. Thousands of locals and tourists have been evacuated from the area. Reuters

Coastguard vessels and more than 30 private boats took part in an operation near beaches. Reuters

Smoke rising from a wildfire covers the air over a basketball court near Lardos, on the island of Rhodes, Greece. Reuters

A fire engine from Slovakia in Kiotari village, on Rhodes island. EPA

Smoke rises from a burnt hotel complex during a wildfire. AFP