Here we go again. This morning a new red alert was triggered for the eruption of Etna, accompanied by an abundant emission of ash. The latest VONA (Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation) bulletin, which quickly informs the aeronautical sector of changes in a volcano’s activity that can have consequences on flights, indicates that the volcanic cloud has reached a height of about four kilometers.
The alert led, as is now customary, to the closure of the C1 sector of Catania’s Fontanarossa airport, resulting in the suspension of arrivals until 4pm, but the emergency could continue.
“Passengers are asked to check the status of their flight with the airline before going to the airport” says the airport, which in August was affected by numerous flight stoppages which caused serious inconvenience to thousands of travellers.
The ongoing eruption is monitored by the visible and thermal surveillance cameras of the Etna observatory, active 24 hours a day. The red code represents the highest alert level on the scale used to signal risks related to air traffic, given that volcanic ash can damage aircraft engines and hinder visibility, making take-off and landing difficult.
Sources: Catania Airport/VONA
