The Etna entered a new phase of intense eruption in the early hours of Friday, 7 August 2026. From the Voragine crater, one of the summit craters of the Sicilian volcano, a fontana di lava rose up, a lava fountain accompanied by a dense ash cloud. The cloud moved in a south-easterly direction, prompting the authorities to close Catania Airport to arriving traffic, first for several hours and then through until the evening. For travellers currently en route to Sicily or planning to depart, this represented one of the most disruptive Etna-related operational interruptions of the summer of 2026.
The eruption phase at the Voragine crater
According to the update from the Osservatorio Etneo of the INGV the sudden increase in volcanic tremor at the Voragine crater began as early as Thursday evening at around 9 p.m. Between 11:30 p.m. and 4 a.m. on Friday morning, the amplitude reached its peak, with an intense lava fountain documented by the INGV monitoring cameras. The source of the tremor was located at approximately 2,900 to 3,000 metres in height, directly at the Voragine crater. In addition to the lava fountain, further eruption bocche opened in the Valle del Leone and the Valle del Bove, the two large valleys on the eastern flank of the volcano.
Ash fall was reported in several localities on the southern and eastern sides of Etna, including Adrano, Ragalna, Piano Vetore and Nicolosi. The lava flow from the Voragine spilled into the neighbouring North-East Crater and continues to be fed, albeit with markedly decreasing intensity. By the afternoon, the tremor had stabilised and was showing a slightly declining trend, while strombolian activity at the summit craters continued to be observed in the background.
Closure of Catania Airport
The rising ash cloud led on Friday morning to the elevation of the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) to its highest warning level, Red. Catania Vincenzo Bellini Airport subsequently suspended arrivals, initially until 12 noon, then until 4 p.m. and finally until 9 p.m. on the same day. A total of three inbound flights were diverted to Palermo and Rome, whilst departures of aircraft already at the airport were processed as normal.
As Sky TG24 reported in its live bulletin, the airport operator SAC arranged a special train service from Palermo Aeroporto to Palermo Centrale, with onward travel to Catania via Messina and approximately 500 seats available. From 9 p.m., the airport was reopened to all flight movements after the ash cloud had cleared the approach zone and visibility conditions once again permitted safe use of the runway.
What travellers should be aware of for now
Despite the subsiding eruption, the situation warrants monitoring over the coming days. In its current phase, Etna experiences several such eruption episodes per year, at a frequency that makes the Sicilian volcano the most active in Europe. The spread of ash depends heavily on wind direction, and flights to eastern Sicily can be disrupted at short notice even during periods of lower activity. Travellers planning to fly to Catania in the coming days are advised to check the status of their flight directly with their respective airline and to allow for the possibility of diversion to Palermo, from where the onward journey by train or car takes approximately three hours.
Those wishing to visit Etna in person will find summit ascents in the vicinity of the active craters restricted until further notice. The classic visits to the lower areas of the volcano, such as the Silvestri craters or the Etnavineyards on the southern and eastern flanks, remain accessible.
