Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, erupted again on Sunday, July 5, 2026, sending towering plumes of ash into the sky and forcing the closure of Catania Airport. All incoming flights were suspended, and the airport will remain closed until 2 p.m. local time on Monday, July 6.
Flight Cancellations and Airport Closure
Italy's national airline, ITA Airways, confirmed that all departing and arriving flights at Catania Airport would be either cancelled or rescheduled. The airport serves hundreds of thousands of British holidaymakers annually. The eruption prompted Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) to raise the aviation alert to red due to intense volcanic activity.
Dramatic images captured huge bursts of lava and hot rock blasting from the volcano's vent. The eruption began at around 7:45 a.m. local time from a vent on the upper eastern flank of the Voragine summit crater. Activity intensified throughout the morning, with ash plumes rising approximately one mile (1.6 kilometers) above the crater. By evening, glowing lava fragments were visible in the sky.
Volcanic Activity and Alert Levels
A yellow alert remains in place by Italian authorities. The Civil Protection Department explained: "Alert levels describe the state of volcano activity, i.e. whether the volcano is in a state of equilibrium or disequilibrium. They are identified based on a combination of monitoring parameters and data from any ongoing events." The four alert levels—green, yellow, orange, and red—indicate the possible evolution of volcanic activity toward scenarios of national importance requiring coordinated intervention.
Mount Etna, located on the east coast of Sicily between Messina and Catania, is one of Europe's tallest and most active stratovolcanoes. It is in an almost constant state of activity, with its last eruption recorded on January 1, 2026. In recent weeks, local reports noted a slow lava flow from a fracture that opened around 3,000 meters at the base of the Northeast Crater. The INGV recorded activity in the upper Valle del Leone on June 26.
