Catania Fontanarossa Airport remains fully closed as Mount Etna triggers a red aviation alert, suspending all arrivals and departures for a second consecutive day. The Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology elevated the alert level to red after the volcano emitted a 1.5 km ash plume overnight from 5 July to 6 July 2026. Airport operator SAC blocked sectors B2, C1, and B3, halting all incoming operations while restricting landings to five per hour until 21:00 CEST. Over 130 flights were cancelled and 50 diverted to Palermo, Trapani, and Comiso, disrupting hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers. Runways remain unusable due to ash fallout, with normal operations pending infrastructure restoration and ash dispersion clarity.