Mount Etna Erupts Intensively, Triggering Highest Aviation Alert

Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna, escalated its eruptive cycle on December 27, 2025, prompting the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology - Etna Observatory (INGV-OE) to issue a Red Aviation Color Code, the highest warning level for air traffic.

The surge in activity was marked by spectacular lava fountains that reached heights between 300 and 400 meters, alongside the initiation of a new lava flow advancing toward the Valle del Bove, a depression on the volcano's eastern flank. Explosive phenomena were observed originating from the Bocca Nuova crater, which ejected incandescent material. This event followed increased seismic and acoustic energy documented by the INGV-OE.

The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Toulouse issued a warning for an ash plume projected to ascend to Flight Level 360 (36,000 feet) and travel westward at 25 knots. Despite the Red Alert, operations at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, located about 33 kilometers from the summit, were initially reported as unaffected on December 27, though officials cautioned that intensifying ashfall could lead to potential delays due to the risk posed to jet engines.

In a regional coordination effort, the Civil Protection department provisionally raised the general warning level for the surrounding area to Yellow, directing local authorities to implement necessary risk mitigation protocols. This recent escalation continues a pattern of activity, succeeding a notable eruption on June 2, 2025, which also resulted in a red alert. The Bocca Nuova crater had already shown signs of increased activity, ejecting incandescent material to approximately 100 meters above its rim during the night between December 25th and 26th.

The current effusive activity, which included a lava flow extending nearly 2 kilometers toward the Valle del Bove from the Voragine crater vent by the morning of December 27th, alternates with highly explosive Strombolian events. The area remains a significant tourism destination, with local ski resorts like Etna Nord (Piano Provenzana) and Etna Sud (Nicolosi) continuing operations, offering ski passes at competitive prices relative to Alpine resorts.