CAAP Issues NOTAM Restricting Flights Near Mayon Volcano Up to 19,000 Feet After Eruption
Why It MattersVolcanic activity under a raised alert level makes vertical airspace limits a recurring planning constraint, so routing, altitude and diversion decisions around Legazpi follow the NOTAM and agency alert bulletins.
What happened
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) issued a flight safety advisory after Mayon Volcano erupted on Friday. The volcano sits in Legazpi City, Albay.
The advisory includes a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) covering flights near the volcano, with vertical limits running from the surface up to 19,000 feet. Flight operators are advised to avoid flying near the volcano, which is under Alert Level 3. The NOTAM takes effect on October 30, 2026.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported a moderately explosive eruption of Mayon Volcano on Friday.
Industry impact & what to watch
A NOTAM with a surface-to-19,000-foot vertical limit works as a hard planning constraint for anyone routing near the volcano. In practice, volcanic airspace restrictions are driven by the monitoring agency's alert level, so the NOTAM and PHIVOLCS bulletins move together, and a change in one tends to be followed by a change in the other.
For operators, the practical effect lands on routing, altitude selection and diversion planning around Legazpi and the surrounding Albay area. The restriction is defined by altitude band and proximity, so the check that matters is whether a given route or approach falls inside the NOTAM's lateral and vertical limits.
The next milestone that would settle how long the constraint lasts is any revision to the Alert Level 3 status by PHIVOLCS, followed by a corresponding update to the NOTAM from CAAP.
