Overview
- The eruption began on Sunday morning, July 5, with ash emissions from the Voragine crater intensifying and producing lava flows visible across eastern Sicily.
- Italy’s Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation raised warnings to red as ash plumes rose above the summit, prompting Catania–Fontanarossa to suspend or heavily restrict operations through rolling closures.
- Hundreds of flights were cancelled or diverted, with many inbound aircraft rerouted to Palermo, Comiso, Trapani and some to Rome or Vienna, affecting major carriers including ITA Airways, Ryanair, easyJet and British Airways.
- Civil Protection placed a yellow ground alert for nearby communities and officials reported no immediate injuries, while passengers have been advised to check flight status and expect care from airlines though compensation is unlikely because the disruption is a natural event.
- INGV and the Etna Observatory are using visual and thermal cameras and plume models to guide hour‑by‑hour aviation and safety decisions, and the eruption follows several days of heightened activity at Europe’s most active volcano.