Mount Etna eruption suspends arrivals at Catania airport

Mount Etna, Europe's tallest and most active volcano, erupted with renewed intensity on August 7 and 8, 2026, spewing ash and lava that forced the suspension of all incoming flights at Sicily's Catania International Airport. The volcanic activity, centered on the Voragine crater, sent an ash cloud drifting southeast, prompting aviation authorities to issue a red alert and close a sector of airspace for safety.

The eruption began on Friday, August 7, with lava fountains and a fresh fissure opening along the Valle del Leone. The Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology reported that the event was preceded by a sudden increase in the amplitude of volcanic tremors starting on the evening of August 3. A dramatic plume of smoke and ash, visible on monitoring webcams, rose to an estimated 7,300 meters, blanketing several nearby towns with fine black ash.

In response, Catania airport authorities suspended all arriving flights until 12:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on Saturday, August 8. Departures for aircraft already at the airport continued to operate normally. The disruption led to at least three incoming flights being diverted to alternative Sicilian airports such as Palermo,...