{"id":24874254,"date":"2026-09-26T16:01:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T14:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/etna-ash-catania-airport-closed-red-vona-september-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-09-26T16:02:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T14:02:23","slug":"etna-ash-catania-airport-closed-red-vona-september-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/etna-ash-catania-airport-closed-red-vona-september-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Etna Ash Shuts Catania Airport Until Sunday: Red Alert Over Sicily"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n\r\n<p>Sicily's busiest airport has shut again. On Saturday 26 September, ash from Mount Etna's North-East Crater forced Catania-Fontanarossa Airport to stop all flights, first until the afternoon and then until noon on Sunday 27 September.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>A violent overnight thunderstorm had already slowed arrivals. Then Italy's volcano observatory raised its aviation alert to red, the highest level, as an eruption column rose about 4 km above the crater. For thousands of passengers at the end of the summer season, that meant diversions to the other side of the island, or no flight at all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f5f7;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:8px 0 28px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;line-height:1.7\"><li><strong>Airport:<\/strong> Catania-Fontanarossa (Vincenzo Bellini), Sicily's busiest<\/li><li><strong>Cause:<\/strong> Ash from Etna's North-East Crater, eruption column about 4 km high<\/li><li><strong>Alert:<\/strong> INGV aviation notice (VONA) at red, the highest of four levels<\/li><li><strong>Closure:<\/strong> All flights suspended from Saturday 26 September until 12:00 local time on Sunday 27 September<\/li><li><strong>Airspace:<\/strong> Sector C1 closed; aeroTELEGRAPH also reports sector B3<\/li><li><strong>Diversions:<\/strong> Before the full closure, ten flights diverted: five to Palermo, three to Trapani, two to Comiso (ANSA)<\/li><li><strong>This year:<\/strong> Closures also in August and on 14 September 2026<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">From Slowdown to Shutdown<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>According to Italian news agency ANSA, the day began with restrictions rather than a closure. After the storm, Catania was limited to four landings an hour instead of the usual twelve, and ten flights were diverted: five to Palermo, three to Trapani and two to Comiso. One Volotea flight to Verona was moved to depart from Comiso instead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Then the ash arrived. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) reported ash emission from the North-East Crater and a 4 km eruption column, and issued a red VONA, the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation. Airport operator SAC closed the airspace sector over the airport and ordered zero arrivals and zero departures, initially until 16:00. The suspension was later extended to Sunday midday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;Due to the emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, the closure of the airspace corresponding to sector C1 has been ordered.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>SAC<\/strong> &mdash; operator of Catania Airport, statement as reported by Open (translated from Italian)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>SAC advised passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/catania-fontanarossa-airport-terminal-2024.jpg\" alt=\"The terminal at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The terminal at Catania-Fontanarossa, Sicily's busiest airport, photographed in 2024. Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin \/ CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A Summer of Closures<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>This is not a one-off. Reuters describes Etna's ash emissions as particularly intense this summer. Catania suspended flights in August, when euronews reported the ash cloud drifting as far as Libya, and again on 14 September. For airlines and tour operators serving eastern Sicily, Etna has become a recurring operational risk, not an exception.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EtNlbBntD4I\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>euronews on the August 2026 eruption, when Catania closed and the ash cloud reached as far as Libya.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why Airports Close for Ash<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Volcanic ash is not smoke. It is made of tiny particles of rock and glass that melt inside a jet engine's hot section and solidify again on the turbine parts, choking the engine. Ash also sandblasts windscreens, contaminates air data probes and settles on runways. That is why aviation treats even a moderate ash cloud with such caution.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Aviation learned this the hard way. In 1982 a British Airways 747 lost all four engines after flying into ash from Galunggung in Indonesia, a story told in <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/british-airways-flight-9-volcanic-ash-747-glide-1982\/\">The Night a 747 Lost All Four Engines<\/a>. In 1989 a KLM 747 did the same over Alaska. Both crews restarted engines and landed safely, and today's VONA alerts and closures are a direct result of those near misses.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>For Catania, the forecast depends on the wind as much as the volcano. If the plume keeps drifting south over the airport, Sunday's reopening could slip again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: ANSA, Reuters via Al Arabiya, aeroTELEGRAPH, Open, ilSicilia, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, euronews<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Why is Catania airport closed on 26 September 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Catania-Fontanarossa Airport suspended all flights on 26 September 2026 because of volcanic ash from Mount Etna's North-East Crater. Italy's INGV raised its aviation alert to red, and the airport operator closed the airspace sector over the airport.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>When will Catania airport reopen?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Flights were suspended until 12:00 local time on Sunday 27 September 2026. Reopening depends on Etna's activity and the wind direction, so passengers should check with their airline before travelling to the airport.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Where were Catania flights diverted?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Before the full closure, ten flights were diverted from Catania on 26 September: five to Palermo, three to Trapani and two to Comiso, according to ANSA. One Volotea flight to Verona departed from Comiso instead.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is a red VONA alert?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A VONA, or Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation, tells airlines and air traffic control about volcanic activity. Red is the highest of four colour levels and means an eruption is under way with significant ash emission into the atmosphere.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why is volcanic ash dangerous for aircraft?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Volcanic ash consists of tiny rock and glass particles that melt in a jet engine's hot section and resolidify on turbine parts, which can shut the engine down. It also abrades windscreens and blocks air data probes. In 1982 a British Airways 747 lost all four engines in volcanic ash over Indonesia.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How often does Etna close Catania airport?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Frequently. In 2026 alone, Catania suspended flights because of Etna ash in August, on 14 September and again on 26 September. Mount Etna is Europe's most active volcano and lies only about 30 km from the airport.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is Catania airport closed on 26 September 2026?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Catania-Fontanarossa Airport suspended all flights on 26 September 2026 because of volcanic ash from Mount Etna's North-East Crater. Italy's INGV raised its aviation alert to red, and the airport operator closed the airspace sector over the airport.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"When will Catania airport reopen?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Flights were suspended until 12:00 local time on Sunday 27 September 2026. 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Mount Etna is Europe's most active volcano and lies only about 30 km from the airport.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\">\r\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/british-airways-flight-9-volcanic-ash-747-glide-1982\/\">The Night a 747 Lost All Four Engines<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/malpensa-power-bank-fire-easyjet-a320-evacuation-2026\/\">Malpensa Power Bank Fire: easyJet A320 Evacuated by Slides<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nats-prestwick-outage-scotland-airspace-september-2026\/\">NATS Prestwick Outage: Scotland's Airspace Throttled Again<\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ash from Mount Etna&#8217;s North-East Crater and a red aviation alert have closed Catania-Fontanarossa, Sicily&#8217;s busiest airport, until noon on Sunday 27 September.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":24873975,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24874254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Etna Ash Shuts Catania Airport Until Sunday | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Etna ash and a red VONA alert have closed Catania airport until noon on Sunday 27 September. 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