Sara Guglielmetti New inconveniences in Sicily due to of the eruption of Etna, with a section of Catania-Fontanarossa Airport closed. Full details.
Etna eruption causes disruption at Catania Airport: flights are limited, and the airport is under red alert.
Due to the eruption of Mount Etna, new disruptions will occur this morning, Thursday 29 October 2026, at Catania airport.
Sector B1 of Etna's airspace has been closed, with arrivals at the Sicilian city's Fontanarossa airport limited to a maximum of 10 per hour, compared to an average of 12 at full capacity. The restrictions, according to reports, are expected to remain in effect until 9:00 PM today.
The decision was made by the Operational Coordination Unit and confirmed by SAC, the Catania airport management company. The measure was made necessary by the raising of the aviation alert code ( VONA) from orange to red, triggered this morning following a weak but continuous emission of volcanic ash from Mount Etna.
Mount Etna eruption: the situation at Catania airport
As we have seen, it has gone from orange to red. alert code for aviation onEtnaThis is what emerged from the latest Vona (Volcano observatory notice for aviation) issued this morning, October 29, by the Etna Observatory of the INGV. The estimated height of the volcanic cloud, which is moving southeast, is 4 kilometers above sea level. As a result, the B1 sector of Etna's airspace was closed, with arrivals limited to a maximum of 10 per hour. The decision was made by the Operational Coordination Unit and confirmed by the SAC, which also announced that at the moment no particular critical issues or significant inconveniences have been recorded Passenger traffic within the airport. The situation is constantly monitored; travelers to or from Catania are advised to check with their airlines for any delays or cancellations.