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Volcanic ash from Mount Etna forced Sicily's Catania airport to halt flights on Monday, prompting a red aviation alert.
The Voragine crater at the summit of Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, opened a fissure on June 26, which triggered intense ash emissions the next day. Volcanic activity at the site remains ongoing.
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), through its Etna Observatory, said the volcano is exhibiting "Stromboli activity," a type of moderate, intermittent and rhythmic volcanic eruption typical of the mountain.
Due to the dense ash cloud, aviation authorities issued a red-coded warning for aircraft operating in the area.
Catania's Vincenzo Bellini International Airport (Fontanarossa) said in a statement that all arriving flights were suspended following the intensified ash activity. Departing flights from the airport were also halted until 2:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. GMT +3).
The airport advised passengers to confirm flight status with their airlines before heading to the terminal.
Nearby communities surrounding Etna reported volcanic ash falling over residential areas as the eruption continued.
Etna, located on the island of Sicily, is the highest active volcano in continental Europe. Recent activity, including ash and lava emissions, has been concentrated at the Voragine crater.
The Voragine crater at the summit of Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, opened a fissure on June 26, which triggered intense ash emissions the next day. Volcanic activity at the site remains ongoing.
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), through its Etna Observatory, said the volcano is exhibiting "Stromboli activity," a type of moderate, intermittent and rhythmic volcanic eruption typical of the mountain.
Due to the dense ash cloud, aviation authorities issued a red-coded warning for aircraft operating in the area.
Etna, located on the island of Sicily, is the highest active volcano in continental Europe. Recent activity, including ash and lava emissions, has been concentrated at the Voragine crater.
The volcano has a long record of disrupting air travel at Catania.
Eruptions in 2024 forced the airport to close on separate occasions in July and August, while a June 2025 eruption triggered a red aviation alert after an ash column rose several kilometers into the atmosphere.
Despite the frequency of such disruptions, tourism to Sicily has continued to grow in recent years.
Airlines are generally required to offer passengers an alternative flight or a refund when a flight is delayed by more than three hours or canceled, though this obligation typically does not apply when the disruption stems from events beyond the carrier's control, such as a volcanic eruption.
Local authorities have managed similar disruptions at Etna regularly in recent years, and officials have said conditions elsewhere in Sicily remain unaffected by the ash activity.
Despite the recurring closures, tourism to the island has continued to grow.
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