Volcanic Ash Exercise (VOLCEX) Events, Rome, Italy - 26 to 28 January 2026

The VOLCEX25 debrief, VOLCEX26 planning and the 20th Meeting of the Steering Group for Volcanic Ash Exercises (VOLCEX/SG/20) were held in a hybrid format from 26 to 28 January 2026 in Rome, Italy, kindly hosted by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC). The meeting was attended by around 60 participants, including representatives from States and international organizations such as EASA, EUROCONTROL, the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM), IATA and IFALPA.

The meetings reviewed the outcomes of VOLCEX25, conducted in November 2025, and agreed on recommendations to support the planning of VOLCEX26. A major achievement of VOLCEX25 was that no participating State closed its airspace, marking the fifth consecutive volcanic ash exercise conducted without airspace closures. This confirms the continued application of the Safety Risk Assessment (SRA) approach in line with the EUR/NAT Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan (VACP).

VOLCEX25 simulated an eruption of the Icelandic volcano Katla, with volcanic ash affecting large parts of the North Atlantic and Europe and requiring extensive cross-border coordination. The exercise involved close cooperation among Meteorological Watch Offices, Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres, air navigation service providers, aircraft operators, and regional coordination structures. It was conducted without EUROCONTROL Network Management systems, enabling a valuable assessment of coordination arrangements in the absence of centralized network support.

Key operational tools were exercised, including Dynamic Airborne Reroute Procedures (DARP) supported by Controller–Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC), demonstrating their value in managing traffic during high-workload situations. Quantitative Volcanic Ash (QVA) information was also made available for familiarization, highlighting its potential operational value and the need for further regulatory and procedural development.

The meeting also discussed the establishment of the Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan Project Team (VACP PT), recognized by EASPG and NATSPG as a priority activity to align the contingency plan with ICAO Annex 3 Amendment 82, PANS-MET, and new volcanic ash information services.

The next exercise, VOLCEX26, will be led by Italy and will simulate an eruption of Mount Vesuvius (Vesuvio). The scenario is expected to affect Central Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East, significantly expanding the geographical scope. EUROCONTROL will participate, enabling the testing of enhanced network-level coordination and the new version of the European crisis Visualization Interactive Tool for ATFCM (EVITA).