[REVISION HISTORY]

Etna eruption activity and aviation alert fluctuations

Updated 94 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-06 18:29 UTC → 2026-09-14 11:44 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Mount Etna’s renewed activity, which began on 26 June 2026, progressed through multiple eruptive phases, including a significant episode on 30-31 July and an intensification on 6 August. The eruption, which lasted from 6 to 16 August, prompted the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) to raise the aviation alert to red, causing severe disruption to Mediterranean air travel. Catania-Fontanarossa Airport faced a prolonged closure, with arrivals suspended for nine days between 7 and 17 August. This period affected an estimated 350,000 passengers through cancellations, rerouting, and delays. Palermo's Falcone Borsellino and Comiso “Pio la Torre” airports served as critical alternatives; Palermo specifically managed 710 additional diverted flights, transporting over 112,000 passengers. Economic impacts are substantial. While trade association Assoesercenti previously estimated tourism losses between 12 and 24 million euros, recent estimates suggest the sector has incurred losses of approximately 22 million euros. A survey by the CNA Siracusa Study Center reported approximately 380,000 euros in direct lost revenue for the province of Siracusa alone, with the catering sector reporting the highest losses. In early September, the INGV reinstated a red VONA (Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation) alert due to ongoing ash emissions from summit craters dispersing toward the south-southwest. Although Catania-Fontanarossa Airport remained operational without generalized flight restrictions, the red alert served as a warning for potential airspace limitations. On 6 September 2026, the INGV lowered the VONA alert from red to orange. While weak ash emissions continue to disperse toward the southwest, experts note the volcano remains highly unpredictable, making it difficult to forecast the duration of eruptive phases or the opening of new vents.

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